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kinship between the two worlds that naturally flow the nature Etruscan is a primitive nature. And, a truly
together into one thought. This is proof of a new process primitive nature contains, in itself, true human warmth,
motivated by the intention to give form to, or better yet, which allows you to live a life that is authentic, and to
to render monumental, his iconographic repertoire. It continue to evolve throughout the centuries.
comes to no surprise that Staccioli choose to make an History, as Staccioli sees it, knows neither advancement
enormous bronze horse and winged “putti” rider for his nor decline. He gracefully and casually confirms–
first public commission, which is in the Poggio Valicaia perhaps even unaware of it himself- that he is a product
Park near Scandicci. The reference to Paolo Uccello’s of those first years after the war, in Tuscany, where the
geometric qualities is quite evident in this monumental study and interest in Etruscan statuary re-flourished.
sculpture, which is balanced by the unfinished quality, Therefore, he is akin not only to Marino Marini, but
the dry and raw-edged modeling, of the lower part of also to Arturo Martini, Libero Andreotti, Italo Griselli,
the work. Quinto Martini, Oscar Gallo and many others who felt a
“You need to be very courageous,” writes Gian Carlo direct relationship between the contemporary aesthetic
Bojani, “ to attempt, for the umpteenth time, horse sentiment and the raw humanness and clarity of the
iconography”. He recognizes that Paolo Staccioli has Etruscan works, that are incredibly and modernly un-
a significant ambition, “ to follow an ancient world, idealized.
a dream of antiquity and fragments of a civilization, Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli’s affirmation that, for
which he wants to revisit by means of pictorial and Tuscan sculptors of the times, the Apollo of Veio is
plastic dreams”. And, although it seems possible to draw undoubtedly superior to the Apollo of Belvedere,
a parallel to Marino Marini’s work on the horse theme, illuminates for us the enthusiasm with which they
the connection must be made on the basis of this idea embraced this current of thinking. And, it is free from
of courage, the umpteenth attempt to breath life into a any formulated doctrine; so it extraordinarily allows
subject inevitably laden with the crushing weight of an artists, historians and critics of different schools to
ancient iconographic tradition. This endeavor, at first find common ground. But, the spreading fascism will
sight, would seem irreconcilable with the sensibilities want to transform this movement into a new from of
of a contemporary artist. expression, dedicated to the provincial glorification
For Marini the horse (and rider, which are always of the Italian race’s superiority, supporting, more or
together) is a tragic figure, to be interpreted as a less intentionally, the conservative and traditionalist
metaphor for the human drama, up to its very end, to tendencies that would inevitably degrade and distort
the catastrophe that will overcome man and animal. the original motivations.
On the contrary, for Staccioli, the horse is always a It is certainly a genuine and original enthusiasm
serene incarnation sentimentally bound to its origins, that permits Staccioli to feel ideologically part of
even when it is painted with renting melancholy. the movement. And, eighty years of history haven’t
Staccioli’s work has its greatest power of communication destroyed the sense of that lesson, which is still relevant
in precisely this sentiment. When he chooses sculpture today, even in our sclerotic time. Having said all this,
as his primary means of expression, he reveals his desire obviously, given that its importance isn’t self-referential,
to, according to Bojani, “ return to his Etruscan roots, we should continue and underscore the necessary
to make them his own, and to understand and repeat clarifications: Staccioli remains, as is his nature, separate
them”. Thus, he proves himself to be far from history’s from a purely intellectual celebrating of the archaic
revisionist theories and their modern conclusions. myth, which we can find in the theories and formal
Staccioli looks to his forbearers as an inexhaustible intentions of the majority of the leading artists of the
source of inspiration, as an extraordinary source of 1900’s archaism period. Staccioli is hardly interesting
eternal human feelings. In this way, he is certainly akin in a linear interpretive regression. In a completely
to Marini, seeing that he declared “ I see myself as a son naturally way, he is able to graft his works’ will to be
of the Etruscans... The Etruscans were a strange people, created, onto the tree of his own figurative and tectonic
simple and refined at the same time. Their sculptures tradition, showing off his Tuscan pride.
smile ironically, but the irony signifies intelligence Proof of this is, precisely, his first versions of the warrior
and imagination. It provides a truth within the truth... theme. For the first time, he challenges himself with
The Etruscans are profoundly important to me because the rough physical plasticity that he uses to develop

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