Enrico Baj
Italian, (1924-2003)
Tete de Femme, figural abstract
serigraph on marbleized acrylic sheet
Hand signed lower right, numbered 24/135.

Biography from RoGallery:
Born in Milan on 31st October 1924, Enrico Baj was a prominent contemporary Italian artist. Playing a leading role in the Fifties and Sixties avant-garde movement alongside Fontana, Jorn, Manzoni and Klein, Baj established close ties with Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, E. L. T. Mesens, and other artists of the Cobra* group, with New Realism*, Surrealism* and Pataphysics.

In 1951 in Milan, together with Dangelo and Dova, Baj founded the "Nuclear Art" movement in 1954. In opposition to the systematic repetitiveness of stylistic formalism, along with Asgern Jorn, he founded the "Mouvement International pour une Bauhaus Imaginiste" against the enforced rationalization and geometric abstraction of art.

The polychromatic and mixed media collages* pervaded by a playful and ironic vein, constitute the symbol of the Milan-born artist's satirical vein: the dismembering of form to express the deflagration of matter and imagery.

Baj's work is divided into various periods, all marked by profane irony and a constant pursuit of renewed form of expression: playful, fun themes like those in "Mirrors, furniture, meccano constructions, ladies, modifications, d'apres (Gli specchi, i mobili, i meccani, le dame, le modificazioni, i d'apres" become part and parcel of a denouncement of violence and decline. From the very first representations of the nuclear period (1951), he showed a commitment to fighting all forms of aggression which, through the grotesque collages entitled Generals (Generali 1959) and Military Parades (Le parate militari), led to three great works:

"The funeral of the anarchist Pinelli (I funerali dell'anarchico Pinelli 1972)", Nixon Parade (1974) and The Apocalypse (L'Apocalisse 1979). With Epater le robot (1983) and Mannequins (Manichini 1984-87), Baj stepped up criticism of contemporary society and the indiscriminate use of technology, while with Metamorphosis and metaphors (Metamorfosi e metafore 1988), Mythology of Kitsch (Mitologia del Kitsch 1989) and Garden of delights (Il giardino delle delizie), he denounced the corruption of taste brought about by the culture of industrial products. In 1993, he began the series of "Tribal masks (Maschere tribali)", Felts (Feltri) and Totems (Totem). In 1999, he created 164 portraits of the Guermantes from Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.

The close relationship between painting and literature was always an endless source of inspiration for Baj. Evidence of his relationship with poets and literary intellectuals, both Italian and foreign, can be seen in a series of fifty artist's books, complete with prints and many other books, ranging from the work or poets of the classical age like Lucretius, Martial, Tacitus and increasingly more recent authors, including: Lewis Carrol, John Milton, André Breton, Edoardo Sanguineti, Roberto Sanesi, Umberto Eco, Alda Merini. He also made memorable contributions to the world of theatre with his famous marionettes created for Alfred Jarry's "Ubu Roi" in 1984.

A restless artist and intellectual, Baj constantly wove together his creative work with intellectual reflections on art. Midway through the Fifties, he contributed to the magazines Il Gesto and Phases. He published numerous books, including Patafisica, Automitobiografia, Impariamo la pittura, Fantasia e realtà with publishing company Guttuso, "Ecologia dell'arte". He wrote, particularly during the Eighties, for major newspapers and magazines, including "Il sole 24 ore" and Corriere della sera.

His works have been exhibited in the world's leading museums and art galleries.

Enrico Baj died in Vergiate (Varese) on 16th June 2003.

  • Dimensions: 22"H x 15 1/4"W (Sheet)
  • Medium: serigraph on marbleized acrylic sheet

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipping and removal are the sole responsibility of the buyer. Shipping is available by request through a third party shipping service, Shipping Saint. Please contact our office if you would like to arrange your own shipping. Buyers will not automatically receive a shipping invoice. You will be sent a separate invoice for shipping once your initial invoice is paid and your items are packed and ready to ship. Shipping is invoiced via Shipping Saint and cannot be combined with your auction invoice.
Shipping Saint can be contacted at [email protected] or via phone, 317-644-6088.
PICKUP: Pickup is by appointment only. Items are subject to storage fees if they are not removed from premises within 10 business days. If items require shipping, arrangements and removal must be completed within 15 business days.

by Ripley Auctions
June 24, 2026 3:00 PM EDT
5451 N Rural Street
Indianapolis, IN, US 46220

Ripley Auctions

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $49 $5
$50 $99 $10
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 + $2,500