Renzo Mercatini - Horses

The depiction of animals in art has ancient origins, even appearing in primitive cave paintings. For religious reasons, various types of animals appear in the works of various ancient civilizations. It was especially in the Middle Ages, within the International Gothic style, that animal depictions became widespread as true portraits from life, both within works of art and in notebooks of drawings and sketches. The presence of animals as subjects in art remained constant until the contemporary era. In this painting, artist Renzo Mercatini focuses his research on the figure of the horse. A noble animal, a symbol of beauty and harmony, the horse has repeatedly been a prominent subject in the history of art. Since the fourteenth century, its presence has always been obligatory in battle scenes or equestrian monuments, and for painters, it has always been a challenge to represent it with anatomical precision and naturalistic rendering.

Although he was a member of the Gruppo Labronico, Renzo Mercatini's style diverges from the typical canons of that school of painting, instead displaying the refined ingenuity typical of a naive painter. This can be seen in the spontaneity with which he approaches his subject matter, but also in his choice to depict everyday scenes of humble existence or depictions of animals. However, Mercatini's connection to the Livorno scene, strongly influenced by post-Macchiaioli art, is also evident. This can be seen in his post-Impressionist approach, with broad brushstrokes that construct both the subjects and the space surrounding them.

Renzo Mercatini was born in Chianni in 1924 and died in Livorno in 1984. He was a painter with a naïve approach to his subjects, often genre scenes inspired by the lives of the humble. However, given his membership in the Gruppo Labronico, his technique has a certain post-impressionist tendency with some symbolist touches in his use of color. During his career, Mercatini took part in numerous exhibitions in cities such as Rome, Milan, Pistoia, Marina di Ravenna, and Paris. In 1968, he won first place in the "Brandy" prize for painting and graphics.

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