Mino Maccari, The Makeup Artist, Drawing, 1950s

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Pencil and ink on paper. A rare and expressive drawing by Mino Maccari, executed in pencil on lightly toned paper, … Read more Pencil and ink on paper. A rare and expressive drawing by Mino Maccari, executed in pencil on lightly toned paper, depicting a complex figurative composition rendered with the artist’s distinctive linear economy. The scene unfolds through a network of fluid, continuous lines that define overlapping human figures and faces, suspended between caricature and psychological portraiture. The central figure, sketched with exaggerated facial features and an alert, almost startled expression, dominates the composition, while secondary figures and fragmented profiles emerge around it in a dynamic interplay of forms. Maccari’s characteristic satirical tension is evident in the distortion of anatomy and the spontaneous, searching quality of the line, which suggests both immediacy and narrative ambiguity. The drawing exemplifies Maccari’s mature graphic language, in which irony, introspection, and social observation coexist. Executed with confident yet economical strokes, the work demonstrates the artist’s mastery of drawing as an autonomous means of expression, closely related to his activity as a satirist, illustrator, and co-founder of Il Selvaggio. Signed Maccari lower right. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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