In 1978, Cavallini began the series Pas de danse, comprising seven groups of sculptures standing from three to seven metres in height, on the theme of dance. This particular piece represents two stylised figures performing a lift. In this pas de deux, a dancer, probably a man, has both feet o...
In 1978, Cavallini began the series Pas de danse, comprising seven groups of sculptures standing from three to seven metres in height, on the theme of dance. This particular piece represents two stylised figures performing a lift. In this pas de deux, a dancer, probably a man, has both feet on the ground while lifting his female partner, an expression of lightness. Their heads are leaning backward, emphasising the precision of execution of the move.Cavallini’s style is to strip back his figures to their essential features and to highlight the movement of their action. The Principality of Monaco acquired this piece in 1986. Another of Cavallini’s creations, La Fraternità, can also be found on the Sculpture Trail.
Sauro Cavallini was an Italian sculptor, born in 1927 in La Spezia. A self-taught artist, he devoted himself to sculpture, working at his home in Fiesole, in Tuscany. He held numerous solo exhibitions in Italy, and his monumental sculptures adorn many public spaces around the country. The artist was commissioned to create monumental pieces for some highly prestigious sites, including the Monument to Peace outside the Congress Centre in Florence, and the Monument to Life at the European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg. He died in 2016 in Fiesole. His Tuscan studio was turned into a museum. In 2017, the Florence Biennale awarded him the “Lorenzo il Magnifico” prize in recognition of his lifetime achievements in memoriam. The Florentine jury paid tribute to him for “having masterfully brought bronze to life through sculpture, giving lightness and rhythm to original and harmonious figures with extremely natural yet stylized anatomies”.
