Sunday 5th November Art Works by Francesco Scianna

Gallery Display

Francesco Scianna was born in Padova (Padua) in 1942, the son of a doctor. His father was a car enthusiast spending “more time with his cars than his patients” and naturally Francesco too became addicted from an early age.

His other great love was architecture and it was this that he concentrated on in his early career. After receiving a degree in this subject from Venice, he set up a thriving practice. However his fascination for cars was never forgotten and he combined his two loves in his artwork.
In 1987 his breakthrough came with a one-man show at Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. This exhibition was held to coincide with the Mille Miglia being the first stop, but more importantly they accepted that motoring subjects could be highly regarded as modern art. Francesco is now well known in the racing community as an artist and collector and has shown regularly in Europe and the USA.

His work has been used for posters, auction catalogues and in books as much for the artistic talent and for the cars he paints. Influences from his architectural training can be seen throughout his work in his approach to form and perspective and also in the very landscapes the cars are painted in. He freely admits to being influenced by the great Italian Futurists and notes this in two works entitled “Homage to Boccioni. Eric Estorick, the late chairman of the Grosvenor Gallery, was famous for his collection of Futurist works, some of which were shown at a memorial exhibition in 1994. This coincidence has eventually, through mutual friends led to this, the first exhibition of Francesco’s work in a London gallery. 

The art works are currently on display in our gallery area and can be viewed throughout the classic viewing days on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th August, plus the weekend of the 19th and 20th.