Riccardo Chicco - Untitled

The human figure has always been at the center of artistic research. Since the classical age, the naturalistic rendering of human anatomy has been a primary goal of painters and sculptors throughout history. The representation of the nude is the ultimate expression of this aspiration, pervasive across all eras and stylistic trends. Indeed, in addition to the naturalistic interpretations of the Renaissance and various classicisms, which aimed for a truthful and detailed representation of the human body, the nude has also played a leading role in the new aesthetic concepts brought about by the historical avant-garde, such as Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism.

In this work, artist Riccardo Chicco can be considered a worthy successor to the Expressionist avant-garde. The artist seeks to go beyond what is perceived by the senses to extrapolate the true essence of reality and communicate it on canvas in a lively and dramatic manner. For this reason, nature and the human figure, in this case, are interpreted in an extremely synthetic manner, with an almost brutal reduction. The surface is completely two-dimensional, with no concessions to spatial depth. The brushstrokes delineate the forms in a highly abstract and gestural manner. Color is used according to an emotional and spiritual interpretation. The elongated form expresses an existential tension.

Riccardo Chicco (Turin 1910 – 1973) was born into a family of merchant entrepreneurs. At birth, he developed a serious hip ailment that would leave him immobilized for years and a future limp. In 1922, he studied under Vittorio Cavalleri, an exponent of the traditional landscape school. From 1925 to 1928, he studied in the studio of Giovanni Grande, a painter and ceramist who worked for the Lenci artistic ceramics factory. In 1928, he joined the Turin school of Felice Casorati, an undisputed figure in early twentieth-century Turin painting. In 1931, he left Casorati's studio and made his debut at the Società Promotrice di Belle Arti. From the second half of the 1930s, he spent time in London, Paris (at the Louvre copy school), Vienna, and Munich (at the Alte Pinakothek). In March 1946, he held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria del Bosco in Turin, with an introduction by his mentor, Felice Casorati. In 1948, 1950, and 1956, he exhibited at the Venice Biennale. In 1950, he participated in the national exhibition "The Painters of Bardonecchia" in Turin at the Galleria della Gazzetta del Popolo. Between 1951 and 1963, his works received numerous local and national awards, and from 1963 onwards, he was represented at the Milan Triennale.

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