Thursday, January 14, 2010

Master: Antonio Mancini

Wanted to take a minute and post some pics from one of my favorite master artists Antonio Mancini.
















Take a look at his Graticola above. This photo really shows the great accuracy he was able to get with it. In some of the paintings above you can see the lines from the graticola ropes over the canvas.

Wiki excerpt:

Mancini was born in Rome and showed precocious ability as an artist. At the age of twelve, he was admitted to the Institute of Fine Arts in Naples, where he studied under Domenico Morelli (1823–1901), a painter of historical scenes who favored dramatic chiaroscuro and vigorous brushwork, and Filippo Palizzi (1818–1899), a landscape painter. Mancini developed quickly under their guidance, and in 1872, he exhibited two paintings at the Paris Salon.

Mancini worked at the forefront of Verismo movement, an indigenous Italian response to 19th-century Realist aesthetics. His usual subjects included children of the poor, juvenile circus performers, and musicians he observed in the streets of Naples. His portrait of a young acrobat in "Saltimbanco" (1877-78) exquisitely captures the fragility of the boy whose impoverished childhood is spent entertaining pedestrian crowds.

While in Paris in the 1870s, Mancini met Impressionists Edgar Degas and Édouard Manet. He became friends with John Singer Sargent, who famously pronounced him to be the greatest living painter. His mature works show a brightened palette with a striking impasto technique on canvas and a bold command of pastels on paper.


I've got one of his books if anyone knows of any more books of his work I'd like to pick one up, Thanks!

3 comments:

  1. Hi Carl.
    Antonio is one of my favourite artists too.
    This is one of my favourite paintings: http://www.linesandcolors.com/images/2008-01/mancini_430.jpg

    I live in Italy and I can find many books about the artist for you, but they are written in Italian language.
    Let me know.

    Fausto

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  2. I love that piece too!

    I imagine the books might be pricey coming from Italy but I'm still interested for sure. All I really want are the pictures so if it's in Italian it's no prob

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  3. Hiya! I have just recently come across this artist while researching for my master's degree at the university of Glasgow, and I must say, I am absolutely in love with his work already.

    So, I have decided to dedicate my Master's dissertation to his work, especially his textural techniques, focusing on "The Sulky Boy" which is housed at the Kelvingrove Museum here in Glasgow :)

    Were you ever able to get ahold of a list of books on his work? I speak Italian, so any and all in that you know of would be a huge help to me.

    Please email me at hpdawg2010@yahoo.com if have a list of references and you don't mind sharing. I'd really appreciate it!!! Best wishes with your own work and thanks for your lovely blog. I really enjoy it.

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