Horseman, 1947
Marino Marini
Italian, 1901-1980
Bronze
39-1/2 x 18-1/2 x 25 in. (100.3 x 47 x 63.5 cm)
Norton Simon Art Foundation
M.1968.08.2.S
© 2008 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome
On view
Throughout the forties and fifties, Italian sculptor Marino Marini worked with the theme of horse and rider. Marini's abstracted "Horseman" of 1947 remains reflective, quiet, and in control. Firmly seated, his stretched, downcast arms reach between his legs and land gently on the animal's back. Head tilted backward, he looks skyward while his horse calmly looks down and to the left. As the rider exalts in his newly finished journey, his companion grazes underneath him, whereas his later horses became wilder and the riders more exhausted. In addition to the equestrian theme, Marini remained transfixed with "pomonas," plump figures of women. His technique included painting the images first and then sculpting them in bronze or wood.
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