About the Artwork
A prominent member of the Italian branch of the neo-expressionist movement, or “Transavanguardia,” is Enzo Cucchi, who since 1980 has painted alone in an empty church near the Adriatic Sea. He tends to be skeptical about the world and rarely travels, but from his secluded vantage point, he takes pleasure in reading about myths and legends while contemplating the inspirational Italian countryside. The deep, lush colors of the landscape underscore the highly energized subject matter, which produces an intense and evocative painting.
This work refers to the Greek myth in which the hunter Actaeon inadvertently observed the goddess Artemis bathing. She angrily turned him into a stag, and he was killed by his own dogs. Here, the naked hunter is about to be crushed by the oncoming train, a metaphor for primitive man being defeated by the wheels of progress and civilization.
Quadro Feroce
1980
Enzo Cucchi
born 1950
Italian
----------
Oil on canvas
Overall: 79 × 144 1/2 inches (200.7 cm × 3 m 67 cm)
Paintings
Contemporary Art after 1950
Founders Society Purchase, gift of Mrs. George Kamperman by exchange
1992.212
Copyright Not Evaluated
Markings
Please note: This section is empty
Provenance
The artist;Galerie Bruno Bischofberger (Zurich, Switzerland);
Private collection (United Kingdom);
(Margaret Lipworth Fine Art, Boca Raton, Florida, United States);
1992-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
For more information on provenance, please visit:
Provenance pageExhibition History
Please note: This section is empty
The exhibition history of a number of objects in our collection only begins after their acquisition by the museum, and may reflect an incomplete record.
We welcome your feedback for correction and/or improvement.
Suggest FeedbackPublished References
Rouzaud, Jean and Laugier, Emile. "Vive La Peinture-Peinture." Actuel no. 23 (September 1981): p. 84 (ill.).
Flood, Richard. "Revies." Artforum XIX, no. 9 (May 1981): p. 69. (ill.).
Ratcliff, Carter. "Things You Should Know: European Imports." TWA Ambassador 14, no. 11 (November 1981): p. 54 (ill.).
"Sandro Chia - Francesco Clemente - Enzo Cucchi." Exh. cat., Kunsthalle Bielefeld. Bielefeld, Germany, 1983, cat. no. 32, p. 83 (ill.).
Kindly share your feedback or any additional information, as this record is still a work in progress and may need further refinement.
Suggest FeedbackCatalogue Raisoneé
Please note: This section is empty
Credit Line for Reproduction
Enzo Cucchi, Quadro Feroce, 1980, oil on canvas. Detroit Institute of Arts, Founders Society Purchase, gift of Mrs. George Kamperman by exchange, 1992.212.
Related Works
Feedback
We regularly update our object record as new research and findings emerge, and we welcome your feedback for correction or improvement.
Suggest Feedback
