Ugo Attardi - The Man of Sorrows

Original full-round bronze sculpture cast using the persica wax technique in refractory ceramic from the Venturi Arte Foundry, finished with a chisel and fired with hand-shaded tones. Limited edition of 75 pieces numbered from 1/75 to 75/75 and of 25 pieces numbered from I/XXV to XXV/XXV.

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 been a central figure in the new aesthetic concepts brought about by the historical avant-garde, such as Cubism, Expressionism, and Surrealism. Specifically, the sculpture in question, as the title informs us, is none other than a representation of Christ. "Vir Dolorum," or Man of Sorrows, is a widely used title for Christ in medieval artworks. These works displayed Christ's body as an image of salvation and redemption. Attardi's work, therefore, could be considered a crucifixion reduced to the essentials, where all the attention is shifted to the body of Christ as in the iconographic tradition of the Vir Dolorum.

This sculpture is particularly interesting for appreciating artist Ugo Attardi's study of the human figure. For Attardi, the basis remains the reality of a concrete and tangible representation, immediately relatable to the subject. But the artist, at the same time, feels the need to go beyond mere phenomenal reality and integrate it with his own subjectivity. For this reason, the figure undergoes anti-naturalistic deformations, which nevertheless play a fundamental role in its expression. In this case, dynamism is achieved through an elongated form that transcends all natural laws and must be interpreted entirely from an aesthetic perspective. Typical of Attardi is his sketching of forms in a summary and concise manner, lending an iconic character to the work. Compositionally, the figure fits within an ideal triangle that gives the whole a sense of complete perfection and harmony of the parts. In this endeavor, Attardi reconnects with the highest Renaissance tradition, integrating it with his own modern, expressionistic conception of sculptural creation.

Ugo Attardi, born in Sori in 1923 and died in Rome in 2006, was a painter and sculptor. After beginning his career as an abstract artist, joining the Forma 1 group, in the 1950s he turned to Expressionism, drawing inspiration from Bacon and Grosz. He participated in several editions of the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadrennial and exhibited his work in numerous solo and group shows in Italy and abroad.

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