Silvio Pasotti (1933–2026), Italian Pop Art pioneer, dies at 93

Silvio Pasotti, an Italian artist who anticipated Pop Art in the early 1960s, died in late February 2026 at age 93. Born in Bergamo in 1933, Pasotti began his artistic training in 1951 under Achille Funi at the Accademia Carrara di Bergamo. By the late 1950s he had moved beyond Funi's teachings toward an original form of Informale. In the 1960s he created works reflecting the era's zeitgeist, including his famous 'Lavatrici' (washing machines) series, which critic Omar Calabrese described as anticipating postmodern metatextual pleasure. Pasotti's career spanned Paris, New York, and multiple stylistic phases: cars in the 1960s, domestic interiors and swimming pools in the 1970s, and a diverse period of portraits and Ferrari subjects. He worked across all artistic techniques and maintained a distinctive, recognizable touch throughout. His bibliography and exhibition history are extensive. The obituary was written by Stefano Piantini, a longtime friend and former publisher at Electa.