Gianni Olindo Portioli's Collection

An anomalous figure in the Lombard artistic scene, the descendent of a noble family, who was supposed to become a lawyer, though passion for painting prevailed leading him to depict the world he knew so well, in ample country scenes or illustrating the humble lives of workmen. His work cannot be defined as being part of a specific style, and his paintings are influenced both by Verism, that looks to the past, and by a sensibility that displays a more  sincere immediacy. The large work we can admire here presents a particular luminosity, inspired both by 18th century landscapes and by the innovative genius of Corot. The figures present serve only to situate, in a romantic way, the relationship between man and nature, dominating though placid, rhythmed by the big trees that welcome and break the rays of light.

Domenico Pesenti was a fundamental protagonist in the Mantuan artistic scene, one of the most important in the development of Italian painting in the 19th century. During his long life, he brought together the influences of Tuscan art, a region he frequented for a long time, and that of Lombard painting, which aimed at interpreting the everyday dimension of life. He was a refined painter, his technique a perfect one, he never adhered to the Macchiaioli movement, though his work often makes use of a clear light able to accurately depict sensitive impressions. All his works are, in fact, the result of a complex balance of shapes and colours. The old spinner here depicted is both a paradigm of the human condition and a vibrant character who seems to sum up all the details of the room she is in. The red of her mantle and the white of the thread direct our attention to her face, in part emblem and in part concrete representation of female dignity.

The style of Bresciani da Gazoldo greatly developed over time, rendering a more traditional 19th century style more intense, almost symbolical, heightening its realism and providing a crude analysis of the human condition. Though he lived for a long time in Milan, he never forgot the suggestions of his native land, depicting in a clear and sincere way the features of the characters dear to him, or the contours of nature. The composition we can admire here was completed in his last year of life. It opens up in an almost unexpected way to the colours of Chiarismo, and the brushwork convincingly portrays the decorations of the large tablecloth. The composite ability is perfect and sharp, and the artists places fruit, vegetables, a bottle and a glass with taste and skill, so as to give every element the right space and time.

Andreani became well-known as a young painter for his artful replica of The Parnassus by Mantegna, already at the Louvre. Using Renaissance techniques he developed his own style trying to grasp the most intense aspects of an ever-changing reality. His production, rightly representative of 20th century art, alternates portraits of elegant ladies, of poor workmen, and city landscapes. Throughout his life he maintained a strong link with the city of Venice, inspired by the very particular atmosphere of the lagoon city. Painting the facade of saint Mark for instance, Andreani was attracted by the possibility to synthesise the monumental beauty of the church, depicting it on a bright day, with elongated shadows that seem to fragment the paved floor in front of the church. It is yet another attempt to grasp the elusive magic of the Serenissima.

Lomini was one of the main exponents of the Pittura del Ducato (Painting of the Duchy). He began his career following an almost expressionist style, having lived in Munich in 1912. From this type of free and modern painting he then went on to create sinuous and tender figures, displaying a skilful use of colour. His female portraits are very well-known, in them the contours of the figures delimit a vaporous body, which is however brought to life by sudden sparks. This is the case also with this portrait of his wife, still a girl, which can be compared, because of the masterful brushwork, to some paintings of Van Dongen. The lipstick is the focal point of the composition, and a few strokes are enough to compose the rest of it

Semeghini was born in Quistello, south of Mantua, also the hometown of other illustrious artists such as Giuseppe Gorni and Alberto Viani. Semeghini is among the few provincial artists who became famous at a national level. Venice played a fundamental role, both as the city in which he lived, and as a horizon in which to test his own very particular technique, a translucent stroke of colour, able to invent a face or a gaze. His painting became increasingly rarefied, so much that some works seem to disappear from sight, as is the case with some paintings depicting the horizon of the lagoon at dawn. Acting as a counterpart of Giorgio Morandi and Filippo De Pisis, also in this painting Semeghini demonstrates his capacity to allude to a refined object, while also stating its non existence. The very delicate colours employed create a sort of diffused pictorial lyricism characterized by a subdued force.

Celada became famous already during his lifetime for his almost photographic painting, which allows to compare his work to that of Sciltian and Cagnaccio di San Pietro. During his long artistic career he experimented with different and original styles, before maturing what became his most distinguishing style. He certainly acquired a superior technique and a visual sharpness that was almost cold, and took part in all the trends of Italian painting, with particular attention to the art scene in Milan. His attention to detail conveys powerful intentions that transpose the portrayed object in a vaguely metaphysical dimension. This is true also of the many still-lifes, in which he plays with the transparency of the glasses that faithfully reflect details that would otherwise be lost. Furthermore, the colours that prevail in Celada’s work are almost extinct, transformed by his personal vision that seems to depict real things that are actually being snatched from their daily context, thus demonstrating that absoluteness lives in the tranquil and calm houses of the bourgeoisie.

Facciotto was a very sensitive artist, though his life was a short one. He was an exponent of the so-called Scuola Chiarista, which took shape between Milan and the region north of Mantua. The works of artists who were part of this movement are characterized by the use of soft colours, in some instances made brighter by more intense colours; the influence of Matisse is often visible in the period before and after the war. Facciotto worked as treasurer in the psychiatric asylum in Mantua, and was basically a self-taught painter. He composed some small masterworks, small scenes of hills or still-lifes. The atmosphere is generally an elementary one, at times infantile. In the painting we can admire the sun is a small orange blotch, and brings no light to the composition. The light, on the other hand, is visible in the brushwork that creates the landscape, approximate though effective, suggesting a musical harmony between nature and the human soul observing it.

Seguri was an energetic and versatile artist, who became known in the second part of his life for works influenced by the Padania style and depicting bizarre creatures, or men and women sketched with Expressionist intensity. As a young painter he frequented the protagonists of the Scuola Romana and of Tuscan art, and references to these trends are visible in many of his paintings and sculptures. He was a true artist, and evolved continuously, finally creating refined and fantastical constructions in which imagination could move freely in scenes depicting the deep valley. The painting we are admiring was displayed in the 1950 Cremona Biennial, and it shows a beautiful half naked girl surrounded by vegetation. Her body is graceful but also nervous and expressive. The green she is immersed in seems to gather round to allow a short explosion of female vitality, adorned by purple stockings.