Conclusions
We have reached the end of our journey through the artistic and human universe of Antonio Ligabue—a path that has allowed us to encounter, or rediscover, an artist of extraordinary expressive power, still capable of deeply moving audiences today.
It is no coincidence that his art continues to attract tens of thousands of visitors. One need only recall the great retrospective held in Milan in 1980, which welcomed over 250,000 people—more than twice the attendance of a contemporary exhibition dedicated to Picasso.
The enduring fascination of Ligabue’s work is closely linked to his existential story. Feelings of abandonment, anguish, inadequacy, and fear of a world perceived as hostile emerge forcefully in his creations. Yet what strikes most is his ability to transform this pain into powerful images that touch deep, universal chords.
Many viewers recognize themselves in his fragility, in the tension between instinct and reason, in the “madness” that, in different forms, brushes against every human being. Alongside this process of identification, a certain romantic vision of artistic madness—nurtured by the media and by a long cultural tradition—also plays an important role.
Ligabue, however, is not simply the “mad” artist he is often portrayed to be. He was, above all, a painter, a draftsman, a sculptor. A conscious author, who used art as a tool to affirm himself, to leave a mark. His works are not emotional outbursts, but artistic gestures constructed with rigor and depth.
Behind the roaring tigers and animal duels lies a creative process that also stems from study, observation, and an imagination nourished by diverse cultural sources: films, magazines, circuses, illustrated manuals. Ligabue is not a naïve artist in the strict sense. His painting, though instinctive, feeds on references, visions, and experiences—sometimes high, sometimes popular—which he reworks in an entirely personal way.
The image of Ligabue walking along the Po River with a mirror around his neck, imitating animal sounds before the cameras of director Andreassi, is well known. One might read this gesture as a performance, but in reality it reflects his deep desire to connect with nature, to become one with it. It is a scene that becomes a symbol of his way of feeling and painting.
Critics have often emphasized the character more than the work. But Ligabue did not seek to astonish through behavior. He wanted to be recognized for what he did with his hands, with color, with the painterly gesture.
Like every human being, he desired to be loved. In life, he did not receive the recognition he deserved. But today, thanks to exhibitions like this one, his voice resonates once again, clear and powerful. And it is through his works that Antonio Ligabue continues to speak to us—with sincerity, and with that “roar of the soul” that no one can ever forget.