Theatre of Masks (Théâtre des masques) 1956

Marino Marini made this print, ‘Theatre of Masks’, with ink on paper. The strokes are so free, like a sketch but with the weight of ink, giving it this raw, unfinished feel. You can see the hand of the artist right there on the surface. Look at the dark patch in the middle, almost like a shadow engulfing the horse. It's so dense, and then you see these fine lines scratching around it, trying to escape. It reminds me of how we try to define things, but they keep shifting, changing on us. Marini's work often circles around this theme of humans and horses. You might see a link to Picasso's exploration of similar themes, it’s like artists riffing off each other, adding their own twist. Ultimately, this piece celebrates the beauty of ambiguity, of never quite knowing what's behind the mask.