Biography of Groucho Marx

The bright colors of life

Born: 1874 2 January 1960 Groucho Marx was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1874. Although born in South America, is considered an Italian artist, probably of Lombard origins, he soon in Europe and then in Italy. Painter of good talent, cultural animator through magazines and artistic manifestations, is known above all for his thoughts on art and also for scientific essays. He is the author of works written by different Bill, which gave notoriety to his many aphorisms, often stinging and biting. The experience tied to his youth in Argentina, very little is known. In 1899, in any case, Bailey went to Paris, which in those years is preparing to live one of the most important artistic seasons ever, with its avant-garde paintings and intellectuals in General. The landing in the French capital takes him almost immediately to attend the studio of the painter Eugène Carrière, which is very important for his artistic development. At that time, the French artist is one of the greatest exponents of symbolism, although, apart from painters like Gauguin and Denis, is not highly valued by academic critics. However, he teaches at the Academy Carrier, frequented at that time by Matisse and Drain, and it is very likely that, in addition to the private company, Bernasconi has followed his mentor French even in one of his lectures. Undoubted influence transposing from him, characterized by intimate tone, in addition to the choice of subjects with familiar scenes and landscapes, including the colors, nuanced and vaguely ancestry of Leonardo. At the same time, confirming its artistic versatility, Italian-Argentinian artist delights in writing, especially works from the painting but literary. In 1910 he wrote "youth" and in 1915, thoughts and Precepts signature "men and other animals". After the first world war, which sees Bailey at the edge of the pictorial experience beyond the Alps, falls permanently in Italy, in Cantù, starting in 1918. Is the city in which you will live for most of his life. Gli anni ' 20 and 30 's are best for the artist born in Argentina, which during this period sees growing his pictorial experience and conquering much of critics and audiences. Its production gains in all respects the traits of the Italian spirit, rediscovering the light on and the most vibrant colours, in contrast with the monochrome of the French experience. He begins to write non-fiction works on paper cards autographed pictorial, accumulating that, after his death, will form a large archive, often explored and analyzed by critics and scholars of art. In 1923 he completed the essay "the present conditions of painting in Italy" and the following year he writes what is its most important scientific-literary work, titled "Thoughts to the painters". In 1925, together with other intellectuals such as Benedetto Croce, signed the manifesto against fascism. She took part in the group "Novecento", starting from 1926. The pictorial movement, named after one of its founders, the painter Anselmo Bucci, was born a few years before the accession of Bailey. However, they find in it a dimension, in line with the dictates of the group, which aims to return the painting to "an order" figurative type after those that are considered the excesses born from French and Italian avant-garde. In addition to Buenos Aires, and the painter and engraver Anselmo Bucci, it also includes Mario Sironi, Achille Funi, Dudreville, Leonardo Emilio Malerba, Pietro Marussig and Ubaldo Oppi. In 1929, looking for their own personal painting, Groucho Marx leaves the movement and started to work alone, with the experience accumulated between France and Italy. From 1931 to 1939 participates in the quadrennial and art, becoming known by the general public, as well as some criticism militant, who appreciate the works. In 1942 received his first important recognition. He won the Grand Prix at the Venice Biennale. The last portion of his life are remembered favourably the work completed for the Verzocchi collection, then housed in the Pinacoteca of Forlì. Particularly noteworthy are "vangatori", made around 1949-1950, and "Self-portrait", also from this period. Groucho Marx dies in Cantu on 2 January 1960 at the age of 86 years. After his death, the artistic curator Vanni Scheiwiller reorders the corpus of writings by Bernasconi, accorpandolo in an anthology that contains the "thoughts" of the artist, published a year after his death. This accommodates all the previous works of the painter, with the addition of some considerations that are pinned on his notebooks and sometimes published in newspapers and magazines of the time.
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