P.g. Martini. Important Futuristic Cubist Bronze Sculpture.

Pier Gualtiero Martini (Italian, 1916-????)Cubist head

Bronze with dark brown shaded patina.Original base in natural wood.Signed "P.G. Martini" at the base of the bronze sculpture.Circa 1930/1940.Under the base: exhibition label "Exhibition Internationale d'Art Sacré, Cracovie, 1979".

This work is distinguished by a radical morphology that contrasts with its late exhibition date (1979). The formal language is reminiscent of an earlier aesthetic: a geometric deconstruction of the face in which features are treated by faceted planes.

This piece is probably an early work produced between 1935 and 1939, a period during which Martini was evolving in Turin's artistic circles. Its rarity is notable: after 1945, the artist turned to more abstract forms. This bronze is therefore an important testimony to his cubist period before the break-up of 1940.

The work synthesizes the structural research of modernism - such as the simplification of features by Henri Matisse or the fragmentation of volumes by Pablo Picasso - while integrating the influence of Italian Futurism, decisive for sculptors between the wars.

Pier Gualtiero Martini: An artist of introspection

• The "Beata Solitudo": Martini remained an artist on the bangs of traditional celebrity circuits. He chose to live and create in the solitude of Moline di Vicoforte, privileging his inner world over the tumult of the art market. This deliberate withdrawal explains the rarity of his works on today's market and their relative absence from digital databases, making each piece a genuine rediscovery.

• A dual mastery: Recognized as both a painter and sculptor, he possessed a rare ability to translate the "plastic violence" of his canvases into the three-dimensionality of bronze.

• Institutional recognition: Despite his voluntary retirement, his talent received international acclaim. In particular, he was honored in Paris in 1971 at the Exposition de la peinture italienne (Salon Babilon), where he received a solemn mention. He has also exhibited in the United States (New York, Dearborn).

• Public collections: His works are held today in the Pinacoteche of Racconigi, Fossano, and Mondovì.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dott. Livio Attanasio (Department of Culture, City of Mondovì) for providing essential biographical information derived from research related to exhibitions of the artist's work in Mondovì in 2016.