(Turin 1871–1958 Rome) Campagna Romana, circa 1902, signed Balla, pastels on thin card, 27 x 31 cm, framed, (PP)

Provenance: Dottor Rodolfo Klien Collection – acquired from the artist
Private Collection, Europe

Exhibitions: Rome, La Campagna Romana da Hackert a Balla, Museo del Corso, 22 November 2001 – 24 February 2002, exh. cat. no. 130, plate CXXX;
Padua, Giacomo Balla 1895–1911, Verso il Futurismo, Palazzo Zabarella, 15 March - 28 June 1998, no. 42 p. 97 with ill. (curated by Maurizio Fagiolo dell’Arco)

We are grateful to Ms Elena Gigli for her kind assistance.

These two pastel works were purchased directly from Giacomo Balla by Dr Rodolfo Klien. Maurizio Fagiolo dell’Arco writes: ‘Dr Rodolfo Klien, of English origin, is a renowned chemist, director of Montecatini and holder of numerous patents. In 1911 he married the sister of Mario Sironi, who already knew him, as the divisionist portrait executed around 1907 demonstrates (for its reproduction cf. the Rome catalogue 1989a [ndr Divisionismo Romano , catalogue De Luca Rome] p. 87.)
In the first decade of the 20th century, he purchased at least six of Balla’s works (some of which were exhibited in Padua in 1998).