Eccentric & Extravagant, Mancini
De Mesdag Collectie, Aia, Nederland
Antonio Mancini is remembered as one of the rebellious artists of the 19th century. The Italian painter made extravagant paintings, often using unusual and surprising materials. And it is Mancini himself who is the focus this new exhibition, Eccentric & Extravagant, held at the De Mesdag Collectie in The Hague.
The paintings of Antonio Mancini (1852-1930) were so modern and innovative that they amazed even the Dutch public of the time. From about 1883 the Italian painter started to incorporate materials such as shiny shards of glass and metal into his painting, thus departing from the artistic traditions of the time. The usual subjects of his paintings included poor children, young circus performers, and musicians whom the painter observed on the streets of Naples.