Beast in the mirror

This biography introduces the remarkable career of Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965) to the English-speaking world for the first time. A self-taught painter and sculptor, Ligabue lived most of his life in a hut beside the Po River, not emerging from obscurity until the 1950s when articles and reviews of his work began appearing in the Italian press. Known as the "Van Gogh of Italy," this enigmatic artist, who worked purely by passion and instinct, won prestigious awards and has had film documentaries and television shows devoted to him. Ligabue was a true "outsider," not only in how we might categorize his art, but in the unfortunate facts of his life. All but ostracized by human society because of mental, physical, and emotional "deficiencies" brought on by childhood diseases, neglect and poverty, Ligabue lived isolated in his hut, where he sculpted his animals from the river clay. Later, given oils and canvas, he painted his fantastic, yet realistic, animals, insects, birds, castles, and landscapes, as well as his many haunted self-portraits. In May 1996,a major celebration of Ligabue's life and art was held in his home town of Gualtieri, featuring an exhibition of his work, films and panel discussions.