Roberto de Pinto, Groviglio, 2026

2026

Medium

Encaustic, pastels, charcoal and oil on canvas

Dimensions

100 × 150 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-157725

In Groviglio [Tangle], de Pinto focuses on the torso of his recurring male figure. The composition includes vines, flowers, pearls, insects, serpentine forms, and a fragment of paper — a pencil sketch of a nude male figure that alludes to homoerotic imagery — arranged across the surface of the body. The Italian title means “tangle,” referring to the intertwined vegetal and ornamental elements that structure the image. The work continues de Pinto’s exploration of the body, skin, masculinity, and identity through close-up views and tactile surfaces. Flowers, petals, leaves, pearls, and shadows are recurring motifs in his paintings. Using a cold-wax encaustic technique inspired in part by the Fayum mummy portraits, the artist builds a surface in which wax, pigment, and charcoal produce a dense, textured effect, giving the skin a physical and material presence.