Graziano Pompili, The guardians of the Mistral
Graziano Pompili arrived in Montecchio in 1982, going to live in an old house on the outskirts of the town, immersed in the countryside perpetually marked by the cycle of the seasons.
House that has become what can be defined, as he and his wife have shaped it over the years, "the house of life", to use an expression dear to Mario Praz.
His artworks assume a strong connection with terracotta. In this imposing and elegant sculpture, we find an infantryman, one of the guardians of the Mistral: a cold and dry wind that blows in southern France from the north-west.
Graziano Pompili
(Fiume 1943)
The guardians of the Mistral, c. 1982
Terracotta, 87 x 115 x 50 cm
Provenance: CCPL collection, Reggio Emilia; Private collection, Reggio Emilia