Erró and Art History

Art history has always been an important source of inspiration for Erró. As an art student he made copies of the work of well-known artists in order to learn from their art. In 1955, when he was working at his art in Florence, he created expressive works many of which clearly referenced the work of such artists as Uccello, Marini and Tamayo.

In 1962–1963 Erró started to combine his own images with copies of the work of such artists as Bosch, Vélasquez, Modigliani and Picasso. Since 1964 he has gone yet farther, making collages and paintings based entirely on printed material such as cartoons and photojournalism, as well as the works of other artists.

Erró appropriates the works of famous artists in order both to tell their story, and to subvert their works to create new narratives. Picasso, Matisse, Miró and Léger feature prominently in his work. His choice of images reflects the suitability of the formal structure and imagery of the works for copying – and not least Erró’s huge respect for these artists.