Italian Art Brut Totem Painting with Musicians, Francesco Magli, 1977

Totem & Trumpets – A 1970s Spiritual Groove Painting by Francesco Magli

Let’s start with what we see: a curious, joyfully cryptic totem figure, wings outstretched like a celestial referee, flanked by two very groovy stick-like figures mid-rhythm—perhaps summoning something ancient, or just really vibing.

Painted in 1977, this boldly spiritual composition flirts with Art Brut—all instinct, rhythm, and raw imagination. The totem at the centre stands like a sentient jukebox-god, surrounded by two animated musicians with square heads and elongated limbs, one blasting a trumpet-like shape, the other caught mid boogie. Are they priests? Dancers? Space-age shamans? We don’t know, but we’re here for it.

Painted in a restricted yet punchy palette—inky black, moody purples and cool blues—punctuated with lip-smacking reds that practically wink at you.

But don’t be fooled by the smooth lines and bold flatness: this piece is richly textured, with thick, raised paint that lends the surface a topographical energy. It’s tactile, a little strange, and totally alive.

Our brilliant restorer at the University of Amsterdam gave it a gentle clean and couldn’t help but remark on its quirky technique. It’s not just painted—it’s sculpted with pigment, or pigment relief.

The composition feels both sacred and swinging. Like jazz in a temple. Wherever you will hang this piece, it brings presence. It’s part painting, part spiritual séance, part cosmic concert!

And then comes the twist, as if we were waiting for it: this painting isn’t just spiritually electric—it’s historically charged!

About the artist: Francesco Magli
This spirited totem painting from the 1970s isn’t the work of some anonymous wanderer—it’s by Francesco Magli, Milan’s beloved nonno-writer, a street-art sage with a flair for rebellion and a heart full of paint.

Born in Calabria in 1945, Magli made his mark—literally—on Milan’s concrete skin, trading in greyness for bursts of color and poetry. His most famous act? Scribbling "Che uomo è un uomo che non rende il mondo migliore" ("What kind of man is one who doesn't try to make the world better?") on the wall of a metro station. It landed him in court, of course—but also into the hearts of a new generation of muralists, including the likes of Pao, whom he inspired and mentored.

Before he became a city-wide color crusader, Magli was already pouring his bold spirit into canvas. This early painting is a testament to that same drive—to disrupt, to awaken, to beautify and to blur the lines between art, poetry and action. 

This painting is a rare early piece, capturing the urge of Magli to elevate the ordinary. So when you hang this painting—electric, tactile, a visual totem with dancing figures—you’re not just displaying art. You’re wearing the banner of someone who painted his way out of city greyness straight into legacy.

With its raised textures, mystical figures, and palette that defies gloom, this painting is a vibrant act of rebellion—made for the dreamers, the disruptors, and all those who believe one thing above all: color always wins.

Francesco Magli | Boogie & Belief | Raised Surface Abstract Painting | Totem and Musicians, 1977s