Auto in corsa is a 1930 painting by Uberto Bonetti, an Italian painter and draughtsman born in Viareggio in 1909. The work depicts a racing car and was created in Turin during a formative period in the artist’s career.
Bonetti studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lucca and in 1930 encountered Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the founder of Futurism, in Viareggio. Around 1932, influenced by the aeropittura (aeropainting) principles announced by Marinetti, Balla, Depero and others in 1929, Bonetti began exploring dynamic compositions centred on movement and flight. The subject of a racing automobile aligns with Futurism’s celebration of speed and mechanical energy—themes that would dominate his artistic practice throughout the 1930s.
About Uberto Bonetti
Bonetti (1909–1993) was trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Lucca under Lorenzo Viani. Beyond painting, he worked in fashion design and created the carnival mask design for Viareggio in 1931. His most celebrated works are the Aeroviste italiane, a series of aeropainting compositions executed between 1932 and 1940 that depicted various Italian cities from elevated perspectives.
Details
- Artist: Uberto Bonetti
- Year: 1930
- Location: Turin
- Medium and dimensions: not documented
- Movement: Italian modernism; later associated with Futurist aeropainting
Frequently asked questions
Who was Uberto Bonetti?
Uberto Bonetti (1909–1993) was an Italian painter and draughtsman from Viareggio. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lucca and later adopted the principles of Futurist aeropainting around 1932, creating dynamic compositions celebrating speed and movement.
What movement influenced this work?
The painting was created in 1930, before Bonetti’s formal adoption of aeropainting principles around 1932. However, it reflects the early modernist interest in capturing dynamic motion and mechanical subjects that would characterise Futurism and the aeropittura movement.
Where can the painting be seen today?
No information about the current location or institutional ownership of this work is available from documented sources.
