Walter Valentini (1928) - purgatorio

Walter Valentini (1928-2022)
Untitled
etching 45x32 cm
Edition f. c
printer Sardella Milano
Moulin De Larroque paper
Signed
work published in the catalog of Walter Valentini's graphics

Walter Valentini (Pergola, October 22, 1928 – Milan, May 20, 2022) was an Italian painter, sculptor, and etcher, internationally recognized in the field of graphics and engraving.

He was a master of techniques such as etching, aquatint, drypoint, multi-color lithography, and intaglio.

As an artist he established himself in the eighties with a series of abstract works on board and paper, all characterized by a precise sense of geometry, proportion, and rhythm.

Valentini’s geometric imagery reflects the influence of the Russian avant-gardes of the 20th century (Constructivism) and, marginally, the architectures painted by de Chirico in the metaphysical period, but is mainly founded on the sense of harmony and proportion explored by Italian artists of the 15th century: De pictura, De re aedificatoria, De statua by Leon Battista Alberti, De prospettiva pingendi by Piero della Francesca, and De divina proportione by Luca Pacioli are treated as works on perspective and the golden ratio that will guide Valentini’s entire research on space, forms, and their balance.

Astronomy and cosmography would also be important sources of inspiration for Valentini. His approach to architecture and celestial mechanics is mathematical and rigorous, yet not devoid of its own poetry. Reclusive and distant from schools, movements, and art groups, he expresses his admiration for the works of Paul Klee, Fausto Melotti, and Osvaldo Licini; he cultivates friendships with artists such as Luigi Veronesi, Emilio Scanavino, and Hans Richter.

He taught engraving at the "New Academy of Fine Arts" in Milan, of which he was also director, from 1983 to 1985.

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