Antonio Bobo' (1948) - Sirena nello Studio

AUTHOR

Antonio Bobò (born 1948) Italian painter. Born in Livorno, he is a versatile artist who currently lives and works in the Tuscan countryside, in Spianate di Altopascio. His training consolidated between 1966 and 1968, a two-year period in which he attended the Art High School in Florence, studying under master Renzo Biasion. Painter, engraver, sculptor and ceramist, Bobò distinguishes himself with a refined technique that often makes use of poly-material supports. His technical skill appears in the extraordinary ability to master scratches and chromatic contrasts, always maintaining a delicate and elegant balance. Since the seventies, the artist has chosen to organize his prolific production through continuous thematic cycles, skillfully blending painting research and engraving experimentation.

From a stylistic and poetic point of view, critics have frequently framed him as a symbolist, a neoromantic, or even an author with strong Liberty (Art Nouveau) insinuations. However, Bobò’s art escapes conventional labels: he does not seek an absolute ideal of beauty, but uses his work to “continually deceive nature and mock history.” Through emblematic cycles such as “The Distorting Mirrors,” “The Workshop of Wonders,” or “Exoduses,” the Livorno-born master climbs into unprecedented visual paths, facing creative risk with irony and determination, returning to the observer a dreamlike and deeply metaphorical view of the world.

Throughout his long career, inaugurated with the first solo show in 1960, the artist has exhibited in contexts of great prominence such as Palazzo Strozzi in Florence and the Grand Prix International of Monte Carlo. Today, Antonio Bobò’s creations enrich prestigious public and private collections in Italy and abroad. Among the most significant milestones is his presence at MoMA in New York within the project “The Book in Twentieth Century Italy.” More recently, in 2022, a precious nucleus of his works – including five refined engravings and a splendid oil on panel – was acquired by the permanent collection of Mo.C.A. (Montecatini Contemporary Art), further consolidating the value and importance of his legacy in the panorama of contemporary art.

DESCRIPTION

“Sirena nello Studio,” oil on canvas, 50x60 cm, 1991, signed lower left. On the back, autograph note by the author with signature and title, exhibition label.

The canvas transports the observer into the dreamlike and visionary universe typical of Antonio Bobò, revealing a scene of enigmatic and theatrical charm. Within what appears to be a studio suspended outside time, a quiet and magical dialogue between creator and muse unfolds. A mythological creature, a mermaid whose tail sinuously emerges revealing elegant chromatic geometries, lies gracefully inside a richly draped tub, surrendering to her element with grace. Providing a powerful counterpoint is the imposing and focused figure of an artist, seen from behind, as he with a steady and measured gesture is intent on immortalizing her on a suggestive round canvas, dominated by a golden background that radiates warm, almost sacramental light across the scene.

The composition is orchestrated through a deft and balanced interlocking of forms, where the curved lines of the tub, the circular painting, and the female figure harmonize with the stricter fields of the background. Consistent with the author’s refined technique, the painting surface appears dense and tactile, animated by those unmistakable scratches and vibrant textures that give a tactile three-dimensionality to the image. The chromatic play lives on elegant contrasts: the deep, dark, nocturnal tones of shadows and background softly clash with the warm accents of the terra-cotta, browns, and golden glows. This skilled application, combined with thick and scratched brushstrokes, enhances the decorative quality of the details, from the tub’s drapery to the soft interweavings of the mermaid’s hair.

Fully embedded in the thematic cycles that characterize Bobò’s prolific inquiry—ideally close in inspiration to the atmospheres of “The Workshop of Wonders”—this work masterfully synthesizes his peculiar poetic. The panel is permeated by a strong reference to Symbolist art and the refined sinuosity of Liberty, yet reinterpreted through a highly personal filter that blends fairy-tale enchantment with a marked and fascinating exotic note, clearly visible in the appearance and attire of the portrayed painter. Guiding the myth into the earthly and operational dimension of the artist’s studio, Bobò confirms his subtle irony and vocation to “deceive nature,” offering the viewer an allegorical narrative where the allure of the unknown and the elegance of form celebrate the very mystery of the creative act.

CONDITION REPORT

Excellent overall condition. The work is intact in all parts with vivid and legible chroma and brushwork. The photo of the painting placed in a setting was generated with artificial intelligence and should be considered purely exemplary. Only the remaining photos are valid, as they faithfully show the object and its characteristics, both general and in detail.

Tracked and insured shipping with appropriate packaging.