Luigi Mantovani
Milano, 1880 - 1957
After perfecting himself at Cesare Tallone's school of nudes, he made his debut in 1900 at the Brera Triennale with a light palette and a delicate style with fluid painting and luminous tones. A skilled landscape painter, he characterized his views with vaporous pictorial blurs that expressed very personal suggestions
His father Giuseppe, a xylographer and etcher, initiated him into the practice of engraving at an early age. In 1896 he enrolled at the Brera Academy, where he was a student of Giuseppe Mentessi, Vespasiano Bignami and Camillo Rapetti. After perfecting himself at Cesare Tallone's school of nudes, he made his debut in 1900 at the Brera Triennale with a light palette and a delicate style with fluid painting and luminous tones. A skilled landscape painter, he characterized his views with vaporous pictorial blurs that expressed very personal suggestions; he also devoted himself to fresco painting and in 1902 executed the decoration of the vault of the Church of Gavirate (Varese).
In 1906 he participated with three oil paintings (Ultimi raggi, Al cader del sole, Studio di figura) in the Exhibition set up in Milan for the inauguration of the Simplon Pass. From 1907 to 1917 he taught at the Civica Scuola serale di Pittura, with some interruptions due to his temporary absence from Milan because of his participation in World War I.
In 1913 he presented the painting Cattedrale at the Contemporary Retrospective Exhibition of Fine Arts of the Milan Artistic Family, and the following year he exhibited the work Studio di testa at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts of the Milan Permanente. At the Brera Permanente in 1916 his Ormeasco Landscape was chosen for the Principe Umberto Prize. In 1917 Mantovani is named an honorary member of the Brera Academy, and the same year he participates in the annual exhibition of the Society of Fine Arts with the oil painting Testa. He participated in the 1920 Brera National Exhibition with Paese Lombardo.
In 1923 he took part in the I International Watercolor Exhibition with The Trevi Fountain. In 1926, with the painting Corso Vittorio Emanuele, he was awarded a gold medal at the I Mostra d'Arte di Artisti Milanesi organized by the Famiglia Meneghina. In 1930 he set up several solo exhibitions in Rome and Milan (Galleria Annunciata, Galleria Ranzini, Galleria Micheli) and in 1934 participated in the V Exhibition of the Interprovincial Fascist Syndicate of Fine Arts of Lombardy with Il Duomo di Como. At the next exhibition in 1936 he exhibited Piazza Duomo in Milan. In 1942 he participated in the XII Interprovincial Art Exhibition of the Lombardy Landscape with the painting In a beautiful street in Milan.
Due to World War II he interrupted his exhibition activity until 1953, when he exhibited at the Brera Biennale Visione in Venice.
In 1963 a major retrospective exhibition was dedicated to him at the Palazzo del Turismo in Milan, followed by another in 1967 at the Mainetti Gallery. He is also remembered in an anthological exhibition at the Permanente in Milan in 1988 and in a retrospective at the Mostra-mercato dell'Antiquariato in Turin (Palazzo del Lavoro, 1995).
Museums in which his works are preserved:
Milan, (Galleria d’Arte Moderna; Palazzo del Comune; Quadreria dell’Ospedale Maggiore; Camera di Commercio; Civiche Raccolte d’Arte del Castello Sforzesco; Ufficio Anagrafe, Avvocatura Comunale; Raccolte d’Arte della Fondazione Permanente);
Merano.
Bibliography:
A. M. Comanducci, Dizionario illustrato dei Pittori, Disegnatori e Incisori Italiani Moderni e Contemporanei, Milano, Luigi Patuzzi Editore, 1972; Luigi Mantovani, Mostra antologica (Milano, Palazzo della Permanente, 25.1/28.2.1988), Milano, Electa, 1988;
G. L. Marini, Il valore dei dipinti dell’Ottocento e del primo Novecento, Torino, Umberto Allemandi & C., 2000.
In 1906 he participated with three oil paintings (Ultimi raggi, Al cader del sole, Studio di figura) in the Exhibition set up in Milan for the inauguration of the Simplon Pass. From 1907 to 1917 he taught at the Civica Scuola serale di Pittura, with some interruptions due to his temporary absence from Milan because of his participation in World War I.
In 1913 he presented the painting Cattedrale at the Contemporary Retrospective Exhibition of Fine Arts of the Milan Artistic Family, and the following year he exhibited the work Studio di testa at the National Exhibition of Fine Arts of the Milan Permanente. At the Brera Permanente in 1916 his Ormeasco Landscape was chosen for the Principe Umberto Prize. In 1917 Mantovani is named an honorary member of the Brera Academy, and the same year he participates in the annual exhibition of the Society of Fine Arts with the oil painting Testa. He participated in the 1920 Brera National Exhibition with Paese Lombardo.
In 1923 he took part in the I International Watercolor Exhibition with The Trevi Fountain. In 1926, with the painting Corso Vittorio Emanuele, he was awarded a gold medal at the I Mostra d'Arte di Artisti Milanesi organized by the Famiglia Meneghina. In 1930 he set up several solo exhibitions in Rome and Milan (Galleria Annunciata, Galleria Ranzini, Galleria Micheli) and in 1934 participated in the V Exhibition of the Interprovincial Fascist Syndicate of Fine Arts of Lombardy with Il Duomo di Como. At the next exhibition in 1936 he exhibited Piazza Duomo in Milan. In 1942 he participated in the XII Interprovincial Art Exhibition of the Lombardy Landscape with the painting In a beautiful street in Milan.
Due to World War II he interrupted his exhibition activity until 1953, when he exhibited at the Brera Biennale Visione in Venice.
In 1963 a major retrospective exhibition was dedicated to him at the Palazzo del Turismo in Milan, followed by another in 1967 at the Mainetti Gallery. He is also remembered in an anthological exhibition at the Permanente in Milan in 1988 and in a retrospective at the Mostra-mercato dell'Antiquariato in Turin (Palazzo del Lavoro, 1995).
Museums in which his works are preserved:
Milan, (Galleria d’Arte Moderna; Palazzo del Comune; Quadreria dell’Ospedale Maggiore; Camera di Commercio; Civiche Raccolte d’Arte del Castello Sforzesco; Ufficio Anagrafe, Avvocatura Comunale; Raccolte d’Arte della Fondazione Permanente);
Merano.
Bibliography:
A. M. Comanducci, Dizionario illustrato dei Pittori, Disegnatori e Incisori Italiani Moderni e Contemporanei, Milano, Luigi Patuzzi Editore, 1972; Luigi Mantovani, Mostra antologica (Milano, Palazzo della Permanente, 25.1/28.2.1988), Milano, Electa, 1988;
G. L. Marini, Il valore dei dipinti dell’Ottocento e del primo Novecento, Torino, Umberto Allemandi & C., 2000.
