Magic symbolism in the paintings of Umberto Croce

Croce's work cannot be viewed as geometric abstraction without a soul of lyrical vibrations, since its distant roots can be found more in the dream-like visions of a Paul Klee than in the rigorous geometry of, for example, a Capogrossi, a Soldati or a Vasarely.

(Mario Mancigotti - 1993)

 Umberto Croce is our abstract painter.  With his oil pastels he describes incredible cosmic oceans, where he goes deep-diving in search of intellectual sensations and finally emerges loaded with fetishes and totems which he represents on paper.

If we should consider Umberto Croce's painting according to the past artistic movements we could define it surrealistic in some of his works, informal in others and both in his almost total production.

(Giovanni Malventi - 1997)