(Innsbruck 1932–2011 Vienna)
“Maremma-13–1985”, signed and dated Prachensky 85, and titled, signed and dated Markus Prachensky 1985 on the reverse, acrylic on canvas, 130 x 175 cm, framed, (K)

Provenance:
Collection, Vienna – directly from the artist

MAREMMA
The Maremma is integral to Etruria both in terms of Italy’s geography and Prachensky’s painting. As a consequence of its marshes, some stretching far inland from the coast, this region was originally notorious for mal aria, the fever believed to have been carried by foul air. Large areas of the region were constantly drained, particularly successfully under the Austrian Grand Duke of Tuscany and later Emperor Leopold ll whose memorial in front of Grosseto cathedral shows him lovingly lifting up a woman, the symbol of the Maremma. Today this is fertile land, extending from Grosseto to the large town of Pineta by the sea and surrounded by a chain of small hills amongst which lies the aforementioned mountain village of Vetulonia.

The fundamental elements of the paintings are familiar: upright beams bearing horizontal layers in the now almost classic colours: two reds, violet, brown, green and, instead of orange, yellow again. Yet the beams now reach much higher than before: extending over two thirds of the painting. They encompass almost the whole width of the canvas, moving together towards the centre or then later pushed to the right edge, they run parallel or are tilted against one another as in a very tight zigzag. The layers above, usually two, leave a gap free in the middle, forming either a compressed oval or triangle, usually still with a short beam below,…

Wolfgang Fleischer, Markus Prachensky, published by Löcker, Vienna 1990