That particular subtlety of expression, allied to moderation and restraint, which are such important features of the Tuscan temperament, could not fail to surface in the work of Antonio Papasso.

Papasso was born in Florence, and lived for a long time in the shadow of the Learning Tower of Pisa, and his character, a product of older Tuscan influences, could not help but show through in his works - finely gauged and highly sophisticated, subdued and often cryptic, and always built within the artistic realms of caution and a masterful control. These works bear a certain kindship to rarified mystic atmosphere, which surround the Piazza dei Miracoli, the sculptures of Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, the frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli.

His works are anything but "easy". For the very reason that his creations are devoid of heavy effects, of violent chiaroscuro, or sword -thrusts of colour - they are as far from the most recent Germanic expressionism as they are from the aggressive manifestations of the "trans-avant-garde". Further still from the unsubtle and heavy rhythms of the "primary structures" which are being re-visited today. For this reason, Papasso's works need to be enjoyed with love and care, delicately extracting their hidden and impalpable essence.