Guglielmo Marconi 1939

Enrico Prampolini painted Guglielmo Marconi in oil paint, layering geometric shapes and colors, like a landscape of the mind. I can imagine Prampolini in his studio, stepping back and squinting, trying to make sense of Marconi’s world of wireless transmissions. What might Marconi have been thinking as he fiddled with his inventions? I see lines that shoot out, zapping around the canvas—the color palette of pale blues, browns and reds, feels futuristic, but also a bit… dusty? It's like Prampolini is trying to paint not just what Marconi looks like, but the invisible waves he worked with. The paint isn’t super thick, but it’s definitely present. He's not hiding the hand, right? Painters have always looked to each other for ideas, pushing and pulling and experimenting. I can see echoes of Léger and Picabia in Prampolini’s work, this ongoing conversation across time, inspiring each other's creativity.