I was fortunate in becoming personally acquainted with Antonio Borsato.  Over several years starting in 1968 thru the year of his death, 1982, I had unique opportunities to visit with him and his family and some of his closest friends.

There  are  several acpects of his sculptures that are missed by most.  Much of his work reflected his life attitudes.  For example, his three major themes, Madonnas, Horses and  women really sum up his life.  He did almost endless versions of Madonna or Madonna and Child.  This reflects his intense relationship with the Catholic church.  Borsato had a  keen perception that he was not afraid to express.  When he saw hypocrisy he was not afraid to incorporate it in his work.  Thus there exists several figurines depicting rather worldly acting priests. 

Having thus portrayed the priests the natural feeling of guilt followed, and thus the rather glowing figurines depicting Madonnas with Child Jesus.  We could say that Mr. Borsato suffered guilt from his own insightful perceptions.  Thus the religious production was the largest part of the entire line.

Horses were also of personal expression.  He produced many horses both singularly and in groups.  Why so many horses?  They symbolized the macho or masculine aspect of the artist.  Borsato was very much a renaissance man.  Independent, strong willed, self directed, unrelenting.  What better expression of that temperament  than  the  horse. 

Race To Oblivion, his hallmark creation, was a self portrait.  Twelve horses ascending to a peak he called oblivion.  Borsato was his own man.  This  sculpture summed up his life.  He had unresolvable contradictions that he finally expressed in this unique sculpture.  Most people  just see it  as  an expensive sculpture of horses. 

Then there is the large group of women.  Need I say more.  From the erotic to the sophisticated.  Borsato was very much the Italian artist.  He  loved women  and a survey of his female designs will easily confirm this.

And thgen the birds and animals.  Borsato loved nature,  probably as a kind of therapy.  He could relax with nature.  His birds and animals have no agenda.  He just enjoys them.  He most closely resembles other porcelain artists in his  nature pieces because he leaves his politics out of them. 

His eyesight deteriorated  over the years.  His colors became more grayish.  His outlook became more depressed as seen  in  some of his esoteric pieces.  A Fortune Teller, a depressed clown, two bums relecting on a park bench.  The majority of his work tells his story. 

When I heard the news that he died, it was naturally very shocking.  But what has also been troubling since then is the lack of understanding that surrounds his work.  Perhaps a book can be written to help collectors understand Borsato, who I call a Renaissance man.

Allan Koskela
Antonio Borsato specialist, appraiser
PO Box 104
Webster City, Iowa 50595
(515) 832-2437