This beautiful original porcelain limited edition relief sculpture, painted in colors and partially glazed by renowned Italian artist Sandro Chia, makes a stunning and memorable gift for the equestrian art lover!

Black Palio is a black rider on a galloping black stallion rarely found at auction in such superb condition, contained in its original black wood presentation box, with the artist's inscribed signature on the recto (front) of the piece, also plate signed and numbered by the artist on the verso of the work as well as the box label, and accompanied by the manufacturer's original Certificate of Authenticity. The box measures 25.5 by 23.5 by 4.5 inches and the porcelain plaque sculpture measures 15.5 by 17.5 inches.

The porcelain sculpture is inlaid in gloss painted ceramic, and the tile is set into a solid grey mounting. This item is numbered 67 of 125, as noted by the authentication seal on the back of the mounting. The boxing is the original packaging, and the original certificate of authenticity accompanies the piece.

The brochure that accompanies the artwork includes an essay by Italian museum director Prof. Dr. Heinz Spielman, who explains that Palio is "a horseman and steed racing at full gallop through the streets of Siena, so full of energy that they threaten to burst the strict geometrical confines of the square which forms their background. With just one rider on horseback against a colorful backcloth, Sandro Chia conveys the confusing hustle and bustle of what must be the world's most resplendent and historical horse race, the "Palio." The colored flags of the various quarters of the city, the "Contadi," are reflected in the rhythmical stripes of color which form the background and also symbolize the streets of the town. The forceful composition in the background also intimates the fervor with which the contestants race against each other. The Palio is first and foremost a public festival. This is suggested by the way in which Chia reduces pictorial representation to its bare essentials, placing the black horse and rider against a rhythmic background of harmonizing colors.

Born in Florence in 1946, Sandro Chia is associated with the Italian Transavanguardia movement. Championed by the Italian critic Bonito Achille Oliva, this movement rejected conceptual art and revived emotive, gestural, figurative painting. Clemente, Cucchi, and Chia took the New York art scene by storm in the early 80’s; they were known as the three “C’s.” Chia’s work became synonymous with the Neo-Expressionist movement which dominated the decade and had a strong influence on American painters.

Notable Public Collections:
Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL
Fukuyama Museum of Art, Fukuyama, Japan
Tate Gallery, London, England
Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv, Israel
Castello di Rivoli, Museo d’Arte Contemporanea, Turin, Italy

There is some scuffing, bumping, and wear to the exterior wood box, but the work itself is in excellent condition.