Fortunato Depero *

(Fondo/Trent 1892-1960 Rovereto) Battaglia di autonomi, 1923, signed, inscribed by Rosella Depero on the reverse, oil on panel, 60 x 80 cm, framed
This work is registered in the Archivio Unico per il Catalogo delle opere futuriste di Fortunato Depero, Rovereto and is accompanied by a digital photo certificate of authenticity

Provenance:
Private Collection, Milan
European Private Collection

In 1923, while working on the large oil on canvas Ingranaggi di guerra – a monochrome composition in blue-green tones depicting an infantry battle set on a promontory – Fortunato Depero also painted the smaller panel Battaglia di automi. The subject of both works draws inspiration from the recent events of the First World War.

The affinity between the two paintings is evident both compositionally and chromatically: in each case the artist adopted the same blue-green palette, repeating forms and modes of interaction among the figures. As explained by Maurizio Scudiero, Battaglia di automi – acknowledged as autograph by Rosetta Depero in 1971 (inscription on the reverse) – was a study for the composition later executed on the large canvas. At the same time, Battaglia di Automi can be considered a fully resolved composition itself, as clearly demon strated by the preparatory drawing executed in the same year.