Carlo Levi - Hug

In the history of art, a clear distinction can often be made between figurative and abstract stylistic movements. However, when an artist's goal is to represent an object that resonates with phenomenal reality but is also charged with hidden and symbolic meaning, this boundary can become blurred. Symbolism and Expressionism are emblematic stylistic movements in their conceptual interpretation of reality, with an iconic rendering of images and a symbolic interpretation in the use of color.

With this silkscreen, Carlo Levi maintains a balance between figuration and abstraction. The connection to the sensory data of reality is strong, but the execution transcends phenomenal reality. In this case, the theme of the embrace, developed by him in other works, is interpreted with a marked formal synthesis. We can see how the entire image is constructed with a broad, dense black line that delineates the shapes and identifies the volumes. The facial features are generic, taking on an iconic and universalizing character. From a compositional perspective, the perfect fusion that occurs graphically between the two subjects is significant, corresponding to a spiritual union.

Carlo Levi, a major literary figure, also had considerable experience as a painter. Trained in the studio of Felice Casorati, he traveled to Paris in the 1930s. His stay in France helped Levi break away from his master's rationalist plasticism and embrace a more expressionist style. During his painting career, Carlo Levi was part of the "Turin Six." The rest of the group, trained by Felice Casorati, also rejected the classicist rhetoric of twentieth-century Italy, embracing a more subjective style of painting inspired by Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, and Modigliani.

The transaction takes place with maximum security for both the seller and the buyer. We take care of the conformity (provenance, authenticity, state of conservation) of the work and handle the shipping.
Returns are possible no later than 14 days after receiving the order.