Enrico Baj, “Al Fuoco, Al Fuoco (Fire! Fire!)”, 1963–64, Oil Paint and Meccano on Furnishing Fabric, Tate Museum

Enrico Baj had painted many humorously satirical pictures of what are sometimes known as ‘decorated people’, a favourite theme being high-ranking army officers bedecked with sashes and medals who are gesticulating some command. There are about half-a-dozen other pictures of the period between 1963-64 with very similar figures : single figures as well as a row of figures. Enrico Baj pointed out in an October 1974 letter that in this painting, as in many others of the same period, he used spare pieces of English ‘Meccano’ erector sets. During this same period he built thirteen sculptures using Meccano pieces.

This picture has a label of the 1964 Venice Biennale on the back with the title ‘Mani in Alto’ (Hands Up); but it does not appear among the works by Baj listed in the Biennale catalogue. The reason for this was that it was added at the last moment after some other works by Baj were censured by the Italian curators of the Biennale for being irreverent towards the Italian authorities and army. Enrico Baj stated that the title was changed when the painting was modified in 1964; the two dates 1963 (which is inscribed on the stretcher) and 1964 can therefore be used together.