Antonio Donghi (March 16, 1897 – July 16, 1963) was an Italian painter of people, portraits, popular life, landscapes, and still life. He studied in Rome at the Instituto di Belle Arti.
After his military service during World War I he studied art in Florence and Venice, he became one of Italy's leading figures in the neoclassical movement that developed in the 1920s.
His paintings are very much twentieth century paintings but with an evident tradition of Italian classicism. He developed an extremely refined technique.
The strength of his work lies in the imposing composition and realism. His figures all seem to have a look of stoic resignation about them with just a hint of humour. His still lifes tend to be simplistic with an almost perfect symmetry.
Donghi achieved both popular and critical success, in 1927 he won First Prize in an International Exhibit at the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh.
By the 1940s, Donghi's work was far outside the mainstream of modernism, and his reputation declined although he continued to exhibit regularly. In his last years he concentrated mainly on landscapes, painted in a style that emphasizes linear patterns. He died in Rome in 1963.
Most of Donghi's works are in Italian collections, notably the Museo di Roma.
I chose his figure paintings and portraits to show here just because I like their simplicity.
i have a busy morning but will be back
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I agree with your choice. If you hadn't stated that he was Italian, I would have immediately guessed Spanish from these paintings.
ReplyDeleteThanks Frank, That's interesting because to me they look Italian. To me the subjects have a Spanish feel to them but I thought I saw little bits of the classical italian technique, funny how we all see things differently.
ReplyDeleteI really like this style of painting. There's a strong linear value combined with a pervading use of ochre. His art reminds me of other artists that have used similar techniques. There's a fresh honesty with this artist, confronting but demure at the same time.
ReplyDeleteMe too, Loretta. Sometimes, paintings have too much going on in them.
ReplyDeletei like
ReplyDeletevery much
simple
elegant
wonderfull
:)
thank you for introducing a new artist to me
ReplyDeleteI too like the simplicity of his figures and portraits.
ReplyDeletevery clean lines and crisp colors. neat stuff! i had never heard of this artist before, either.
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