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VITALIANO MARCHINI (Melegnano, Lodi 1888 - Mergozzo, Verbania 1971) MATERNITA' (Motherhood)
Bronze bas-relief, diameter 290 mm. Mounted on a wooden plate measuring 345 x 330 mm. Signed and dated 'V. Marchini / 1920'.
This sculpture was exposed at the Galleria Pesaro (traces of the label still remain on the verso of the wooden plate) in February 1922. The exhibition, introduced by Adolfo Wildt, assembled works by Vitaliano Marchini together with work by the painters Ugo Bernasconi and Raoul Viviani. See: Galleria Pesaro - Milano, 'Mostra individuale dei pittori Ugo Bernasconi, Raoul Viviani e dello scultore Vitaliano Marchini', February 1922; catalogue no. 175

In his early age Marchini went to Milan to work as a stonemason. Doing such a modest activity he became an expert in marble and learned the difficult technique of the sculptor. Twenty years old, he won the Tantardini prize for sculpture and two years later he succeeded to gain the prize Visigalli. So he began his prolific career as a sculptor, participating in many exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Appointed as a teacher of sculpture at the Brera Academy, he held that chair for over thirty years. Starting from positions very close to the Scapigliatura Milanese, Marchini approached in the following years the symbolism of Wildt. Some of his works are exposed in the Pavillon of Contemporary Art of the Milanese Gallery of Modern Art (PAC).