吉諾∙撒維里尼

Private Collection, Milan
May Walter, New York (acquired by 1961)
Eugene Thaw, New York
Mario Tazzoli Gallery, Turin
Galleria Philippe Daverio, Milan
Leonardo Mondadori, Milan
Barbara Mathes Gallery, New York
Private Collection, Massachusetts
Private Collection (acquired from the above. Sold: Sotheby's London, 15th October  2007, lot 2)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Berlin, Galerie der Sturm, Sechzehnte Ausstellung: Gemälde und Zeichnungen des Futuristen Gino Severini, 1913, no. 12, illustrated in the catalogue
London, Marlborough Gallery, The Futurist painter Severini exhibits his latest works, 1913, no. 12, illustrated in the catalogue
Naples, Galleria Futurista, Prima Esposizione di Pittura Futurista, 1914, no. 15
Rome, Galleria in Via del Tritone 123, Présence: Gino Severini, 1945, no. 8
New York, The Museum of Modern Art; Detroit, Institute of Arts & Los Angeles, County Museum, Futurism, 1961, no. 115
New York, Philippe Daverio Gallery, Futurism: 1911-1918, 1988, no. 17, illustrated in the catalogue

Maria Drudi Gambillo & Teresa Fiori, Archivi del Futurismo, Rome, 1962, vol. II, no. 69, illustrated p. 331
Daniela Fonti, Gino Severini, Catalogo ragionato, Milan, 1988, no. 136, illustrated p. 144

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount at the reverse of all four corners, floating in the mount. There are artist's pinholes in all four corners and some associated repairs. All four corners have paper infills. There is a small repaired tear to the centre upper edge and to the lower left edge. Apart from some slight time staining to the sheet and some light paper skinning to the lower and right edges, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate in the printed catalogue illustration, although the paper tone is warmer and less red in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

L'Autobus belongs to a pivotal group of charcoal drawings and paintings that Severini executed in late 1912 and early 1913 on the theme of buses and trains in movement, exploring the key concepts of Futurism: movement and speed. The founders of Italian Futurism viewed dynamism, speed and light as the essential characteristics of modernity, and sought to celebrate the scientific and technological advances of the twentieth century (fig. 1). Paraphrasing Einstein in 1913, Gino Severini declared that 'speed has given us a new notion of space and time' and L'Autobus, executed in the same year, is an early example of the pictorial language he developed to communicate the bewildering sensations and experiences of modern life.

As the artist himself proclaimed: 'It has been my endeavour to produce by means of lines and planes the rhythmic sensation of speed, of spasmodic motion, and of deafening noise. The heavy vehicle pursues its headlong career from Montmartre to Montrouge along the crowded streets of Paris, dashing across the path of other motors, grazing their very wheels and hurling itself in the direction of the houses' (quoted in D. Fonti, op. cit., p. 141). With its vortex of abstract lines and prismatic forms, L'Autobus presents the high point of Severini's art, and demonstrates the virtuosity with which he achieved the Futurist ideal. Fascinated with the pace of modern life and excited by new technology, Severini's fellow Futurist Giacomo Balla found their perfect embodiment in the image of a speeding automobile. The two artists experimented with breaking up the image in a way that enabled them to translate the visual effect of movement on a two-dimensional surface.

The present work was included in a 1913 Futurist exhibition held in Berlin at Galerie der Sturm, which was instrumental in supporting the movement and spreading its acclaim outside Italy. In the spring of 1912 Galerie der Sturm organised the first exhibition of Futurist art ever shown in Germany, and one of the first of its kind outside Italy. Despite its low critical acclaim, the exhibition was extremely popular with the Berlin public, and was to play a crucial role in the artistic development of German Expressionism. Recognised from early stages as one of the key works in the artist's œuvre, L'Autobus was also included in Severini's first solo exhibition, held at the Marlborough Gallery in London in 1913.

Fig. 1, Umberto Boccioni, Gli addii - Stati d'animo II, 1911, oil on canvas, The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Fig. 2, Severini in his studio in Paris, 1913