Filippo de Pisis

(Ferrara, 1896 - Milano, 1956)

Filippo de Pisis, a painter and poet of considerable artistic and cultural importance, was born in Ferrara in 1896 and died in Milan in 1956. Throughout his creative career, he devoted himself equally to painting, poetry, and writing, establishing himself as one of the most significant cultural figures of the first half of the 20th century. Our painting, dated 1939, dates to the period of his return to Italy after a long stay in Paris (1925–1939); by this time, the artist had already developed the characteristic rapid, sparse style that would characterize his entire output. In our thoughtful portrait of a reader, moreover, the aspiration to complete essentiality is evident, here explored through bold brushstrokes from which the barely sketched forms emerge thanks to simple, carefully selected touches of white. An ephemeral and poetic image.

Signed and dated lower right. Filippo de Pisis Association Archive No. 01533 - 24/01/2001