Dionysian. Three Male Figures Dancing Around a Golden Sun by Marco Silombria

Dionysian. Three Male Figures Dancing Around a Golden Sun
Marco Silombria (Savona, 1936 – Albissola, 2017)
Acrylic and gold leaf on black paper
Signed and dated '96 at lower edge
Size: 100 × 72 cm

Three nude, athletic male figures revolve in a symbolic dance around a circular sun in gold leaf. Silombria's bold, vibrant line defines the black anatomies with fiery reds, infusing rhythm and movement. The circle encloses a ritual gesture that evokes Greek myth in a contemporary key, alluding to Dionysian vitality, nudity, and ecstasy.

The visual reference to ancient Greek black-figure ceramics, with the contrast between matte black and luminous gold, is deliberately reinterpreted by Silombria, who also worked as a ceramicist in Albissola. This synthesis between painting and decorative tradition reaffirms his connection to classicism, reimagined through a Pop and graphic aesthetic.

Silombria portrays the male body as a symbol of power, play, and desire, drawing from classical culture while expressing a postmodern and personal vision.

Provenance: from the artist’s studio, via his descendants.
Condition: good, with minimal signs of wear at the corners.

Artist Biography
Marco Silombria was born in Savona in 1936. He studied under Emilio Scanavino and began his career in Turin during the 1960s–70s, collaborating with Armando Testa and designing major advertising campaigns for Fiat, Superga, and Facis. In the 1980s, he developed a distinctive Pop Art style centered on the male nude and classical myth. He was among the founders of Fuori!, the first Italian gay rights movement. His work spans painting, ceramics, and graphic art. He died in Albissola in 2017.