Tuscan Landscape Near Siena With Tree In The Foreground And Rolling Hills (1950s)

Tuscan Landscape near Siena with Tree in the Foreground and Rolling Hills
Artist: Bruno Buracchini (Sinalunga, 1912 – Siena, 1982)
Medium: Oil on board
Dimensions: 48.5 × 57.5 cm including frame
Signature: Signed lower left “B. Buracchini”
Frame: Simple light wood frame
Date: Second half of the 20th century
Condition: Good

A hilly view of the countryside near Siena, animated by a prominent tree in the foreground and a dynamic background of cultivated fields, winding roads, and a distant village.

The painting reveals a strongly three-dimensional painterly structure: the thick surface is not only applied with a brush, but also scratched, incised, and shaped using the wooden tip of the brush handle—almost like a bas-relief. This sculptural treatment of the surface reflects Buracchini’s background as a sculptor and medal-maker. The pictorial material thus takes on an expressive role of its own, bringing forth forms and movement in a lively, tactile relief.

About the Artist:
Bruno Buracchini, born in Sinalunga in 1912 and trained at the Regia Accademia di Belle Arti in Siena, was active as a sculptor, engraver, painter, and medalist. He lived and worked in Siena, where he was deeply involved in the artistic and cultural life of the Contrade. He took part in the Littoriali della Cultura e dell’Arte (1935–1938) and in the First Exhibition of Italian Artists in Arms (Rome, 1942).

Among his most renowned public works are:
• the bronze statue of Saint Catherine (1972), installed in Siena;
• the baptismal fountains of the Contrada della Tartuca (1951) and the Contrada dell’Aquila (1963);
• the Masgalano trophy for the Palio di Siena (1959).

One of his bronze sculptures is held in the Galleria d’Arte Moderna at Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

As a medalist, he created numerous commemorative pieces, including:
• the medal for the 6th centenary of Saint Catherine’s stigmata (1975),
• the 800th anniversary of the dedication of Siena Cathedral (1979),
• the 500th anniversary of the death of Pius II (1964),
• Sacrae Particulae (1966),
• and the 600th anniversary of Saint Catherine and Saint Bernardino (1980).

Label on reverse:
Two labels are present on the reverse. One is handwritten with the artist’s name and Siena address (Via di Città 130), along with the title Paesaggio Senese (L’Olmo spaccato) and the original sale price (L. 45.000). The second is a printed exhibition label bearing the artist’s name (Bruno Buracchini), the number 17, and the year 1956, accompanied by an official circular stamp. This confirms the painting’s inclusion in a public exhibition held in Siena in 1956 and supports its dating to the early 1950s.