Romano Mussolini - Clown with bowler hat

The clown was a popular subject among genre painters of the 1970s and 1980s. Many artists dedicated much of their careers to depicting this theme, Romano Mussolini being a prime example. Typically, the interpretation of this subject is similar for all artists who attempt it: the clown appears with his makeup designed to evoke laughter and hilarity, but instead displays a melancholic expression. This contrast is intended to spark an empathetic dialogue with the viewer. The clown has also been favored by many painters for another formal reason. Indeed, his flamboyant makeup and colorful clothing offer painters a pretext for creating original color harmonies.

The clown is a favorite subject for Romano Mussolini, always interpreted with his figurative technique, characterized by expressionist tendencies. The color is applied very lightly, rendering the clown's figure rather blurred, almost as if he were an apparition against the colored background. The clown's face blends perfectly into the pictorial space thanks to Mussolini's proverbial lightness of touch. Regarding the facial expression, however, the artist employs a more pronounced brushstroke, highlighting the contours with a few essential strokes. As in all his other works on the same theme, emphasis is placed on the large, luminous eyes and the bright red mouth. In the details of the hair, Romano Mussolini returns to a more rapid pictorial style, creating a vaporous, light mass, moved by the air. The entire color palette is in line with Mussolini's expressionist tendencies, with the colors placing a strong emotional value over natural truth. The space of the works is always decontextualized to enhance the subject's empathy.

Romano Mussolini was born in Forlì in 1927 and died in Rome in 2006. A primarily figurative painter, he focused primarily on genre subjects such as clowns, horses, and landscapes. His compositions display a simplicity of line and color. His passion for painting began in 1945 in Naples, where, under the guidance of the painters Corrura and Terraccini, he immediately achieved success. Romano Mussolini, in addition to his paintings, was also famous as a jazz musician and composer.

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