Aligi Sassu, an antifascist painter and sculptor, led a long life spanning Milan, Sardinia, and Mallorca, blending artistic exploration with political activism. Sassu’s interpretation of a classic Renaissance biblical scene, depicting the eventful encounter between the young fisherman Tobias and the archangel Raphael, echoes Arturo Martini’s 1934 bronze sculpture of the same subject. Stripping away anecdotal details, Sassu places his subjects in front of a cove, focusing on a fishing net, amplifying the intense, erotically ambiguous relationship between the angel – an older, physically robust figure – and Tobias, portrayed as if ensnared in the angel’s net. Both figures fixate upon the viewer with an unwavering gaze. The painting draws inspiration from Sassu’s earlier Red Men series, wherein he evoked a mythic realm of male nudes – Argonauts, Centauries, and Dioscuri but also pubescent, indistinct figures – suspended in a timeless, ethereal, yet sensually charged ambiance. Simultaneously, the vibrant hues and the maritime backdrop echo the newfound Mediterranean landscape Sassu encountered after his relocation to Mallorca the year prior.
—Antonella Carmada
