Portrait of Guido De Capitani da Vimercate

Guido De Capitani From Vimercate, born in 1859, son of Ambrogio, belongs, with his sister Adele, with whom he benefits the Ca 'Granda, to a noble family of ancient lineage. Graduated in industrial engineering, he worked first in the railway sector, then as a civil engineer, collaborating on important projects, such as the Cemetery of Musocco and the Monumental Cemetery of Monza. He holds various public offices and, together with his sister, he is generously involved in numerous charitable and welfare works. In life, in 1936, the two relatives set aside 120,000 liras for the Ospedale Maggiore, askingthe half-length portrait of both to be executed by Giuseppe Palanti, a skilled retreator much loved by the Milanese bourgeoisie. The two portraits are in fact realized "in pendant" and both are not to the liking of the Artistic Commission that accepts them but judges them "inferior to the dowries and the fame of the author". The portrait of Guido, executed from life, is very realistic, resembling, aiming effectively at the psychological performance of the character, including a sober setting (the only concession to the "size" of the family crest painted in the upper right) and has a clarity and an almost photographic style.