Quinto Martini

edited by Consuelo de Gara

exhibition catalogue: Saint Petersburg, The State Hermitage Museum, 24 May-30 June 2013

Quinto Martini, a great master little known in Italy, is part of the great figurative tradition of classical sculpture. Born into a numerous family of farmers in Seano, he linked his artistic life to Florence and Tuscany and, through his artistic testimony as a sculptor, painter and writer, he brought a lively spirit to the cultural debate of the 20th century. His words about his childhood reveal a very free and independent approach and style. “The son of farmers, as a boy I worked the land along with my family and during our afternoon break in the summer, in the shade of vines and the trees in the field, I quickly learned to shape mud, attempting to portray the bodies of the men stretched out on the grass for a nap.” His creativity stems from his powerful bond with his birthplace: “Above all, my sculptures attempt to express the simple vitality of this land.” Many of his figures are real, living around him and captured in their everyday activities and spontaneity. The donation of five works from the park-museum of Seano (Alcea, Natura, Pioggia, Mendicante, Gallo) by Teresa B. Martini and the municipality of Carmignano bear witness to the high quality and variety of the artist’s creative expression and represent a significant addition to the collection of 20th-century Italian sculpture at the Hermitage.