FRANZ BORGHESE ©

FRANZ BORGHESE

Franz Borghese was born in Rome on 21 January 1941 and completed his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti and Liceo Artistico in Rome. Painter, engraver and sculptor, Borghese analyses society and the surrounding crowd in his paintings, captured with a brush dipped in sarcasm and irony, as well as in the chromaticism of his palette. Franz Borghese's techniques embrace all the traditional modes of pictorial expression, with the addition of personal innovations and openings to sculpture and engraving. Borghese always worked extensively, including oil paints, tempera, Indian ink, watercolours (famous are those made with coffee grounds) and mixed media, so much so that death caught him in his studio in Rome, while he was painting, on 16 December 2005. Already famous in the late 1960s, he surprised the world of critics in 1971 with a series of paintings with the theme 'Trial of the Bourgeoisie', which automatically triggered parallels with George Grosz and Otto Dix. Honoured as one of the most prominent figures on the Italian art scene, he was crowned 'the most loved artist by Italians' in a poll by Arte magazine. Borghese has been, and still is, the protagonist of numerous exhibitions at well-known public institutions, both in Italy and abroad. His works can be found in important private collections, foundations and institutions. The Piero Della Francesca Art Gallery organised a memorable solo exhibition of his work in 1985, an event that was a huge success with the public.