Enzo Benedetto Landscape Paintings

A beautiful and important painting by the great artist Enzo Benedetto, an absolute protagonist of the so-called ‘Second Futurism’. It depicts a seascape captured in its essence of natural energy with the waves of the sea crashing powerfully on the coast, probably a glimpse of his homeland, Calabria. This artwork, never before on the market, comes from an important Italian private collection. Enzo Benedetto (Reggio Calabria 1905 - Rome 1993) Benedetto, called Record by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, approached the Second Futurism in 1924 after meeting Mino Somenzi and was active as a Futurist until his death, becoming a tenacious continuer of the movement's principles, revisited in 1967 with the Futurism Today manifesto. Benedetto theorised and practised the union of colour with the word and coined the term chrome-paroise to define the synthesis of painting and writing. In 1926 he promoted the futurist hall for the 4th Calabrian Art Biennial in Reggio Calabria where Depero, Dottori, Tato, Fillia, Pozzo, Benedetto Marinetti and himself, amongst others, exhibited. In 1927 he participated in the National Futurist Exhibition in Palermo. He moved permanently to Rome in 1927 and joined the Manifesto in 1931. In a short time he took part in the ‘great Futurist exhibition’ in Imola, the ‘first exhibition of Calabrian art’ in Rome, the ‘33 Futurists’ exhibition at the Pesaro gallery in Milan, and above all the ‘great Futurist exhibition’ at the ‘international artistic circle’ in Via Margutta in Rome. Benedetto had begun flying in 1926, as a photo of the time documents. That same year, inspired by the exploits of the aviator of the same name, he had executed the painting De Pinedo. He adhered to the Manifesto already signed by Balla, Marinetti, Depero, Dottori, Tato, Prampolini and Fillia, which advocated the triumph of a spatiality enhanced by flight in its dynamic effects and freed from the fixity of the horizon. In World War II he was imprisoned in Africa by British troops until the end of the conflict. Benedetto continued his Futurist activities in the second half of the 20th century. From 1939 to 1946 he volunteered for the African campaign and was sent to Libya, after which he was imprisoned for six years in the concentration camps in Alexandria, Ismailia, and in India in Bangalore and Yol in Kashmir. During this imprisonment he was able to paint and some canvases from this period were brought back to Italy, rolled up as personal luggage, In January 1943, he painted Yol, a new psychological oil portrait of Francesco Tommaso Marinetti. In 1946, he returned to Italy and in April 1947 presented his first solo exhibition in Rome. The exhibition dedicated to the great Italian poet and founder of Futurism was opened by Benedetta Marinetti. In World War II he was imprisoned in Africa by British troops until the end of the conflict. Benedetto continued his Futurist activities in the second half of the 20th century. In 1946, he returned to Italy and in April 1947 presented his first solo exhibition in Rome. In 1948 he had a personal exhibition in Capri at the gallery, ‘l'oblò’, and in Reggio Calabria in the Hall of the ‘Francesco Cilea’ Municipal Theatre. In 1949 he took part in the Calabrian Biennial in Reggio Calabria. In 1950 quanta took part with ceramics in the Selective Exhibition of Artistic Craftsmanship in the Angelicum in Milan, and with paintings in the Historical Review of Futurism in the Palazzo di Re Enzo in Bologna. He then held an important solo exhibition in Milan, at the ‘Centro d'Arte San Babila’ and participated in the sixth Quadrennial in Rome. He had a solo exhibition in Fano and another exhibition in Rome in the Galleria del Palazzo delle Esposizioni and in the Galleria del Teatro ‘il Millimetro’. In 1951 he took part in the collective exhibition ‘Mostra Nazionale della Pittura e della Scultura futurista’ (National Exhibition of Futurist Painting and Sculpture) in Bologna, Palazzo del Podestà, with Acquaviva, Giacomo Balla, Primo Conti, Tullio Crali, Fortunato Depero and Gerardo Dottori. In 1953 he took part in the exhibition ‘l'arte nella vita del mezzogiorno’ (art in the life of southern Italy) in Rome and was included in the jury for the awarding of prizes. He also took part in the third exhibition ‘il maggio di Bari’ and in the ‘biennale del mare’ in Rimini. From 1954 to 1960 he took part in many collective exhibitions such as the ‘Sesto Maggio di Bari’, the ‘Villa San Giovanni’ award, the ‘Terni award’, the ‘Avezzano award’, the fifth exhibition of the ‘Triglia d'Oro’, the Michetti award, a personal exhibition in Varese, at the ‘piccola permanente’ In 1961, he stayed in Munich in Germany and exhibited at the Schoeninger Gallery and in the city's ‘Kuntz-Cabnier-Klimt’ studio. Encouraged by his long-standing friendship with Emilio Pettoruti, he also stayed in Paris, where he painted syntheses of the city that were very successful. In 1962, he held a personal exhibition in Venice at the San Vidal gallery and another in Munich at the Wolfgang Gurlit gallery. In 1964 he returned to Rome with a solo exhibition at the Antea gallery. In 1965 he presented his works at the ‘Italian medal...