Mino Maccari

Mino Maccari, born in Siena on November 24, 1898, and died in Rome on June 16, 1989, was one of the most important figures in 20th-century Italian culture. Coming from a family of the Sienese petty bourgeoisie, Maccari showed a remarkable visual intelligence and a strong inclination for drawing, especially with charcoal, from an early age. Although his father, a literature teacher, encouraged him to pursue humanistic studies, Maccari graduated in law from the University of Siena in 1920, but his true passion remained painting and graphic art. During World War I, he served as a field artillery officer and cultivated his artistic talents in the trenches, drawing his comrades and modeling small figures in clay.
After the war, Maccari began working as a lawyer, but soon abandoned his legal career to fully dedicate himself to art and journalism. From 1924, he actively engaged in publishing, co-directing the magazine «Il Selvaggio» with Longanesi and transforming it into an ironic and cultured platform open to significant artistic and literary contributions. He collaborated with prominent figures such as Ottone Rosai, Ardengo Soffici, Giorgio Morandi, Viani, and Semeghini. In the 1920s and 1930s, Maccari established himself as a graphic artist, engraver, and painter, exhibiting in numerous national shows and contributing to the spread of art criticism in Italy.
Mino Maccari is also remembered for his work as a writer, journalist, and caricaturist, as well as for his activity as a set designer and costume designer. In 1963, he won the Feltrinelli Prize for Painting, and in 1973, he was the first recipient of the Satira Forte dei Marmi Prize. Among his most famous works is the Palio di Siena banner from August 16, 1970. His artistic production, marked by a strong personality and continuous experimentation, spans painting, engraving, serigraphy, and lithography, leaving an indelible mark on the history of modern Italian art.