Rating and value of works, drawings, paintings by Marino Marini

If you own a work by or about the artist Marino Marini, and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers will offer you their appraisal services. Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its value on the current market. Then, if you wish to sell your work, we will guide you towards the best possible arrangement to obtain the optimum price.

Rating and value of works by Marino Marini

Italian sculptor and painter Marino Marini belongs to the Modern Art movement. He also creates prints and watercolor drawings, as well as a few photographs and tapestries, although very few of these can be found on the art market, proving his versatility. His works fetched between €30 and €4,593,750 on the auction market, a substantial delta but one that speaks volumes about the value that can be attributed to the artist's works. A bronze sculpture of a rider on his steed dating from 1944 sold for €65,000 in 2023.

Order of value from a simple work to the most prestigious

Marino Marini's style and technique

Marini nurtures his art with a penchant for and great knowledge of contemporary art, as well as an absolute wonderment of ancient sculpture, particularly that of the Etruscans. The artist succeeds in synthesizing the arts in a stylized synergy of forms, with the theme of the Cavalier frequently recurring in his repertoire. This is reminiscent of the sculptures of the Caballine period from 1500 AC onwards in the arts of the Sahara, or the terracotta horsemen of the Niger Delta culture in the Mali Empire between the 12th and 14th centuries. As for sculpture, he mainly uses bronze, plaster and terracotta. His drawings are executed with Indian ink washes, watercolors, tempera paints and pastels, with a certain expressionism. At times, however, a certain archaism can be noted, going back to Paleolithic graphites and patarafes.

The life of Marino Marini

Born in Pistoia, Tuscany, in 1901, Marino Marini scouted out his future career, deploying his artistic talent at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts in 1917. There, painting classes were taught by Galileo Chini and sculpture by Domenico Trentacoste.

In 1929, he was invited to take part in an exhibition in Nice as a member of the Novecento group, an Italian art movement founded in 1922 by Margherita Sarfatti, who wanted to counter avant-garde movements such as Futurism and return to the purity of ancient art. He was awarded first prize at the Rome Quadriennale.

Marini's work is abundant, but is characterized by a very small number of themes along a trajectory stretching between two poles: at dawn, solid classicism, works still influenced by ancient statuary and whose archetype would be the Pomona series; and at dusk, the tragic manifesto of post-war works, haunted by the vision of the world's destruction, whose apotheosis would be found in the last two themes of the work: the Miracles or the Warriors. Until the end of the 60s, he made very few direct-cut sculptures, because for him, the relationship was not with the monolith, but with the material, which could be modelled over and over again. His sculptures are characterized by the addition of schematic, abstract forms, with a strong emphasis on movement, in the manner of the undisputed Futurist master, Umberto Boccioni. He met and sculpted a head by Germaine Richier in 1945, as well as Alberto Giacometti, two sculptors who enjoy considerable renown today and in a way influence his repertoire. He also painted portraits of Carlo Carra, Igor Stravinski, Marc Chagall and Jean Harp. Finally, he sculpts a number of dancers and male and female nudes.

Drawing also occupies a significant place in Marini's work, which he has practiced spontaneously since his adolescence. He draws his female figures from the matrix of classical memories, but transfigures them by interrupting the lines with rhythmic fractures, resulting in absent or diluted body parts.

Marino Marini's imprint on his period

Marino Marini remains one of the greatest Italian artists of the 20th century, and has left his mark on contemporary art through his emblematic interpretation of equine iconography. Marini transcends simple monstration by embracing the essence of the animal, its vigor, elegance and enigmatic, foreign character. In 1940, the horse became the archetype of his work, concealing a symbolism with which he explored a wide range of human emotions through animal representation. Marino Marini leaves behind a substantial legacy. International museums welcome his works into their collections, and they are admired and highly prized by the art market. Marini's teaching at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan and at the Villa Reale School of Art in Monza have enabled him to train a whole new generation of artists.

Recognizing the artist's signature

Marini signs his works in capital letters, often with his surname or sometimes with the initial of his first name: "M Marini", as well as the date in some cases.

Knowing the value of a work

If you happen to own a Marino Marini work, don't hesitate to request a free appraisal using the form on our website. A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you promptly to provide you with an estimate of the value of your work, as well as any relevant information about it. If you're thinking of selling your work, our specialists will also be on hand to help you find alternative ways of selling it at the best possible price.