THE FORMATION OF SERGIO TOPPI'S VISUAL LANGUAGE: ANALYSIS OF EARLY WORKS OF THE 1950S AND 1960S

Abstract

This article examines the early period of the renowned Italian artist Sergio Toppi's (1932–2012) career, focusing on his work from the 1950s to the 1960s. It explores the key stages of the artist's professional development, from his first encyclopedia illustrations to his collaboration with the Pagot animation studio and comic creation. The study analyzes the stylistic features of Toppi's early works, particularly his experiments with graphic expressiveness and compositional solutions. The purpose of this research is to comprehensively analyze the early work of Sergio Toppi, highlight the key stages in the development of his style, and determine how various projects influenced his artistic growth. The objectives include examining Toppi’s early works, his collaboration with the Pagot studio, the development of caricature and realistic styles, analysis of the comic series for "Corriere dei Piccoli," and identifying the essential features of his early style. The research covers an analysis of works from the 1950s–1960s in the context of Italian graphic art, which will help to better understand Toppi's significance in shaping modern comics. Methodologically, the research employs a comprehensive approach combining formal-stylistic analysis, comparative-historical method, and elements of biographical research. Art historical analysis of specific works is applied to identify characteristic features of Toppi's artistic language. Research results reveal the evolution of Sergio Toppi's creative method in the 1950s–1960s, identifying the parallel development of caricature and realistic styles in his work. The formation of unique compositional techniques and graphic expressiveness that became the foundation of the artist's mature style is traced. Scientific novelty lies in the systematic analysis of Sergio Toppi's early career period, which has previously received insufficient scholarly attention. For the first time, the process of forming the artist's individual style is examined in detail, using examples of his work for various publications and projects from the 1950s-1960s. Practical significance of the research lies in the potential application of its results for further study of Sergio Toppi's work, as well as for broadening the understanding of Italian graphics and comics development in the second half of the 20th century. The article's materials can be used in educational courses on the history of graphic art and illustration.