Portrait of Angelo Dall'Oca Bianca

Born in Venice into a family of humble origins, Giacomo Favretto, thanks to the support of Count Antonio Zanetti, enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice from 1864 to 1873. A pupil of Napoleone Nani and Pompeo Marino Molmenti, Favretto experimented with topical issues alongside a lenticular study of the truth within which human types are captured with surprising physical and psychological fidelity. In the 1870s, a taste for narration and anecdote emerged in his works: the lively and easy story of popular everyday life became the prevailing aspect, even if not the only one, of Favretto’s production. A serious illness led the artist to an early death, at only thirty-eight years old, while in Venice the Biennale opens. The portrait of Angelo Dall'Oca Bianca is dated from 1887. Friend and pupil of Favretto at the Venetian academy Dall'Oca has written on the back of the painting: "This is my portrait made by my friend Favretto in 1887. Angelo Dall'Oca Bianca".