Massimo Campigli (1895 Berlin, Germany – 1971 Saint-Tropez, France) was a prominent Italian painter whose work is celebrated for its synthesis of modernist abstraction and archaic, timeless imagery. Born in Berlin to Italian parents, Campigli spent his childhood in various European cities before settling in Italy, where he developed his distinctive artistic voice.
He began his career working as a journalist and caricaturist, contributing to newspapers and magazines in the 1920s. Around this time, he became closely associated with the Italian avant-garde, particularly the Futurists and the Novecento Italiano movement, absorbing their focus on structure, rhythm, and form while developing his own poetic and symbolic language. Campigli’s art is characterized by stylized, elongated figures, often women or groups in ritualistic or everyday scenes, rendered with simplified forms, flat planes of color, and a sense of timeless monumentality. His paintings evoke ancient frescoes and Etruscan art, combining classical inspiration with a modernist sensibility.
In the 1930s, Campigli achieved critical acclaim in Italy and internationally. He participated in numerous editions of the Venice Biennale, beginning in 1936, and his works were shown across Europe, including Paris, London, and Berlin. During the post-war period, he continued to refine his style, producing some of his most iconic compositions: works that balance simplicity, elegance, and a profound sense of human presence.
Campigli’s work is included in major public and private collections worldwide, such as the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome, the Museo del Novecento in Milan, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His art continues to be admired for its ability to merge modernist abstraction with a sense of history, ritual, and universal humanity.
For information on available works by the artist, please contact the gallery.