The origins of Marini’s sculptures, drawings, prints, and paintings of horse and rider can be traced back to ancient examples from a distant past. “My discovery of Etruscan art was of great importance to me. That’s why my art is based more on ancient themes, such as the relationship between man and horse, rather than on modern subjects.”
The theme of man and horse gave rise to a series of riders that began in 1936, shortly after he first saw the 13th-century Bamberger Reiter in the cathedral of Bamberg — which, according to him, became his most important source of inspiration.
Picasso’s Guernica, exhibited at the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris, also left a lasting impression on the Italian artist. Marini admired Picasso and met him several times during his trips to Paris. The influence of Picasso’s work is evident in the angular abstraction and heightened drama present in Marini’s paintings. The tormented duo of rider and horse, much like in Guernica, take center stage.