Mario Mafai (1902-1965) - Donnina

Key features of the work:

Mario Mafai (1902–1965) • “Donnina” • 1958 • Mixed media on paper • 48×34 cm, with frame 66x52 cm • Signed bottom right • Authenticated and archived by the Mafai Raphaël Study Center, Rome, on a photograph no. 1958-04-F-2025
Work belonging to the School of Rome movement. Style: Expressionism

“Donnina” presents a female figure with a nude bosom of surprising immediacy, constructed with rapid strokes, light glazes, and a few extraordinarily effective color accents. The orange corset dominates the composition, while the painted face, frontal pose, and the wide dark train trailing behind, reminiscent of a Can-Can dancer’s costume, create an intimate, sensual, and theatrical atmosphere.

Created in 1958, the work belongs to Mafai’s freer and more essential phase. The line becomes fine, nervous, and instinctive; color does not describe, but concentrates attention and conveys the character of the figure, keeping alive the expressive link with the School of Rome.

The wooden frame with a faux-wood finish, with protective glass, elegantly accompanies the sheet. The signature is placed bottom right. The work is accompanied by authentication on a photograph from the Mafai Raphaël Study Center in Rome, attesting to its archiving under no. 1958-04-F-2025 and will be delivered to the buyer: authoritative documentation of fundamental collectible importance.

Mario Mafai, born in Rome in 1902 and died in the same city in 1965, was, along with Antonietta Raphaël and Scipione, one of the leading figures of the School of Rome. Present at the Venice Biennales and Rome Quadriennials, he is today one of the best-known and most sought-after Italian 20th-century artists.

The buyer will receive the work in careful and sturdy packaging. Very rapid shipping.
Color rendering and the perception of details in the photos may vary slightly depending on the screen used and the presence of protective glass; in person the work retains its full visual presence.