Early Life and Training
Mario Sironi, a renowned Italian modernist artist, was born on May 12, 1885, in Sassari, Sardinia. His father was an engineer, and his maternal grandfather,
Ignazio Villa, was a respected architect and sculptor. Sironi's early life was marked by a brief stint at the University of Rome, where he studied engineering before abandoning it due to a nervous breakdown in 1903.
Artistic Evolution
Sironi's artistic journey began with his attendance at the
Scuola Libera del Nudo of the
Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, where he met his first real teacher,
Giacomo Balla. Influenced by Balla, Sironi initially adopted a Divisionist style, as seen in his early works such as
The Student (Neo-Classicism) [https://WahooArt.com/@@/8LSL4U-Mario-Sironi-The-student](https://WahooArt.com/@@/8LSL4U-Mario-Sironi-The-student).
Futurism and Beyond
Sironi briefly experimented with Futurism in 1914, exhibiting at the
Galleria Sprovieri in Rome. However, he soon transitioned to a style emphasizing massive, immobile forms, as evident in
La Lampada (1919) [https://WahooArt.com/@@/A@D3CPVX](https://WahooArt.com/@@/a@d3cpvx). This shift led to his involvement with the
Novecento Italiano movement, a post-war European art phenomenon.
Notable Works and Style
* Venere (1921-1923) [https://WahooArt.com/@@/A@D3ARWX-Museu-Antonio-Parreiras-Niteroi-Brazil](https://WahooArt.com/@@/a@d3arwx-museu-antonio-parreiras-niteroi-brazil)
* Solitudine ("Solitude", 1925) [https://WahooArt.com/@/Mario-Sironi](https://WahooArt.com/@/mario-sironi)
Key Characteristics:
- Massive, immobile forms
- Emphasis on geometric shapes
- Influence of Neoclassicism and primitivist classicism
- Deliberately ungainly style in later works
Legacy and Later Life
Sironi's association with Fascism led to a decline in his popularity post-World War II. Despite this, his work has been featured in major exhibitions, including
Les Réalismes at the
Centre Georges Pompidou (1981) and
Italian Art in the Twentieth Century at the
Royal Academy, London (1989). Sironi passed away on August 13, 1961, in Milan.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Sironi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mario_sironi)