Giancarlo Vitali (29 November 1929 – 25 July 2018) was an Italian painter and engraver.

Biography

Vitali was born in Bellano, on

Lake Como Lake Como ( it, Lago di Como , ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh de Còmm , ''Cómm'' or ''Cùmm'' ), also known as Lario (; after the la, Larius Lacus), is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of , making it the thir ...

, into a family of fishermen. He began painting when he was fifteen, after having worked at the Institute of Graphic Arts of

Bergamo Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...

. In 1947 he exhibited his first work at the Angelicum Gallery in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, on the occasion of the biennial exhibition of sacred art. In the following edition in 1949, the two works he exhibited, ''Visitazione'' and ''Cena in Emmaus'', were met with great appreciation by

Carlo Carrà Carlo Carrà (; February 11, 1881 – April 13, 1966) was an Italian painter and a leading figure of the Futurist movement that flourished in Italy during the beginning of the 20th century. In addition to his many paintings, he wrote a number ...

. Vitali was awarded a fellowship from the

Brera Academy The Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera ("academy of fine arts of Brera"), also known as the or Brera Academy, is a state-run tertiary public academy of fine arts in Milan, Italy. It shares its history, and its main building, with the Pinacoteca di ...

but because he wasn't able to support himself he was force to reject it. In 1981 his son Velasco Vitali, also a painter, encouraged Giancarlo to start working as an engraver. In 1983 critic and writer

Giovanni Testori Giovanni Testori (Novate Milanese, 12 May 1923 – Milan, 16 March 1993) was an Italian writer, journalist, poet, art and literary critic, dramatist, screenplay writer, theatrical director and painter. Biography Childhood and youth “It is ...

, expressed the wish to meet Vitali after seeing one of his paintings depicting a quartered rabbit. The meeting generated a profound and solid relationship, founded on mutual esteem and admiration, which later became a long deep-rooted friendship. In 1984 Testori wrote an article about Vitai's work in the third page of ''

Corriere della Sera The ''Corriere della Sera'' (; en, "Evening Courier") is an Italian daily newspaper published in Milan with an average daily circulation of 410,242 copies in December 2015. First published on 5 March 1876, ''Corriere della Sera'' is one of It ...

''and went on to organize his first solo exhibition at La Compagnia del Disegno in Milan. Vitali would later have several exhibitions in public and private institutions and released a series of catalogues and engravings portfolios. At the end of the 1980s he realized many public art works, including ''The Portrays of Benefactors'' at

Ospedale Maggiore The Policlinico of Milan ( it, Policlinico di Milano) also known as Ospedale Maggiore di Milano or Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, is one of the oldest hospitals in Italy, founded by Duke Francesco Sforza in 1456. Today it is a modern ...

in Milan commissioned by the Foundation Ca' Granda.

Exhibitions

* 2008 - "Giancarlo Vitali and

Mario Botta Mario Botta (born 1 April 1943) is a Swiss architect. Career Botta designed his first building, a two-family house at Morbio Superiore in Ticino, at age 16. He graduated from the Università Iuav di Venezia (1969). While the arrangements of spa ...

", curated by Carlo Bertelli, A.N.C.E. building, Lecco. * 2007 - "Giancarlo Vitali: Works", IIC, Madrid * 2005 - "Cartella Clinica: Chronicle of an Unsought Sojourn", Aula Magna of the Ospedale di Lecco. * 2003 - "L'Oltranza della pittura: In memory of Giovanni Testori", Spazio Cinquesensi, Milan. * 2002 - "La musica dipinta: Drawings and Oils", Spazio Cinquesensi, Milan. * 2001 - "D'après", Arsmedia, Bergamo; in 2002 the exhibition was presented, with further drawings and oils, at Compagnia del Disegno, Milan. * 2000 - "Il Paese del Pittore", Spazi industriali dell'ex Cotonificio Cantoni, Bellano. * 2000 - "Lunario Minimo", organized by the Comune di Cento in collaboration with Promoart, Chiesa sconsacrata di San Lorenzo,

Ferrara Ferrara (, ; egl, Fràra ) is a city and ''comune'' in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital of the Province of Ferrara. it had 132,009 inhabitants. It is situated northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream ...

. * 1999 - "Giancarlo Vitali", curated by Giancarlo Consonni,

Palazzo Sormani Palazzo Sormani (also known as Palazzo Sormani-Andreani or cà Sormana in Milanese dialect) is a historic building of Milan, Italy, and the seat of the central public library of Milan. It is located at number 6 in Corso di Porta Vittoria, in the ...

Milan. * 1999 - "Le stagioni della Vita", curated by Domenico Montalto, The Cantico gallery in the Monastery of San Damiano,

Assisi Assisi (, also , ; from la, Asisium) is a town and ''comune'' of Italy in the Province of Perugia in the Umbria region, on the western flank of Monte Subasio. It is generally regarded as the birthplace of the Latin poet Propertius, born aroun ...

. * 1997 - "La Memoria Sottile", Scuderie of Villa Manzoni, Lecco. * 1996 - "Giancarlo Vitali: Retrospective", curated by Marco Goldin, Palazzo Sarcinelli,

Conegliano Conegliano (; Venetian: ''Conejan'') is a town and ''comune'' of the Veneto region, Italy, in the province of Treviso, about north by rail from the town of Treviso. The population of the city is of people. The remains of a 10th-century castle ar ...

. * 1994 – "Giancarlo Vitali", organized by Civica Raccolta Bertarelli at Sala Castellana, Castello Sforzesco, Milan. * 1991 - "Le forme del tempo: A tribute to Antonio Stoppani", . Musei Civici, Villa Manzoni and Galleria Bellinzona, Lecco. * 1987 - "La famiglia dei ritratti", curated by Giovanni Testori, Musei Civici, Lecco. * 1985 - "Giancarlo Vitali", curated by Giovanni Testori, La Compagnia del Disegno, Milan.

Publications

* "Giancarlo Vitali: Paintings, engravings and drawings". Text by Leonardo Castellucci. Florence, 2007. * "Cartella Clinica". Preface by Marco Vallora. Texts by Giancarlo Vitali and Andrea Vitali (writer and award winner in 2007 of the Bancarella prize), Cattaneo publishing, 2005. * "Dono di luoghi. Poems by Giancarlo Consonni". Lecco Province Builders Association and Itaca publishing, 2004. * "L'Oltranza della pittura", by Giancarlo Testori. Itaca publishing, 2003. * "D'Après". Preface by Giuliano Collina, Itaca publishing, 2001. * "Il paese del pittore". Preface by Marco Fragonara, a poem by Tonino Guerra along with a text by Andrea Vitali. DeAgostini Rizzoli, 2000. * "Lunario Minimo". Preface by Ludovico Pratesi, DeAgostini Rizzoli , 2000. * "Le stagioni della vita". Text by Domenico Montalto. Itaca publishing, 1999. * "La Memoria Sottile". Texts by Tiziana Rota and Marco Carminati, and poems by

Valerio Magrelli Valerio Magrelli (born 1957, Rome) is an Italian poet. He graduated in philosophy at the University of Rome and is an expert in French literature which he has taught and teaches at University of Pisa and University of Cassino. He debuted as an a ...

. Itaca publishing, 1997. * "Giancarlo Vitali". Texts by Marco Goldin and Marco Vallora. Electa Mondadori, 1996. * "Catalogo generale dell'opera incisa". Edited by Paolo Bellini. Bellinzona publishing – Linati – Stefanoni, 1994. * "Le forme del tempo". Introduction by Alberto Longatti. Bellinzona publishing, 1991. * "La famiglia dei ritratti". Text by Giovanni Testori. Electa, 1987. * "Giancarlo Vitali". Edited by Giovanni Testori, La Compagnia del Disegno, 1985.

Editions

Engravings portfolios

* "Suovetaurilia", counting 6 engravings. Text by Carlo Bertelli, Itaca publishing – Milan 2008. * "Abitare", 6 engravings. Text by Mario Botta, Lecco Province Builders Association, 2006. * "Omaggio al cantiere", 5 engravings. Text By Mario Sangiorgio, Lecco Province Builders Association, 2004. * "Concerto", 8 engravings with 8 poems by Giancarlo Consonni, preface by Marco Vallora, 2002. * "Bestiario", 8 poems by Giancarlo Consonni and 8 engravings by Giancarlo Vitali, introduction by Gina Lagorio, Itaca publishing – Milan, 1999. * "Le forme del tempo", preface by Alberto Longatti. Bellinzona publishing, 1991. * "Tommaso Grossi", 2 engravings along with 2 poems. Preface by Gianfranco Scotti. Lions Club, 1991. * "Il mio museo quotidiano", presented by Testori and printed by Bandini. Bellinzona publishing, 1985. * "Poesie per il Trittico del toro", 3 poems by Giovanni Testori accompanied with an engraving by Giancarlo Vitali. La Compagnia del Disegno publishing, 1985. * "Il mio paese del lago", presented by Gianni Brera and printed by Giorgio Upiglio. Bellinzona publishing, 1982.

Artist's books

* "Maschere", by Henri de Régnier with 2 original etchings. * "Attorno al tavolo", 11 engravings and 9 poems by Franco Loi. Tavolo Rosso – Stamperia Albicocco, Udine, 2003. * "Guardare i Tramonti", a poem by Tonino Guerra along with 9 engravings. Gibralfaro publishing, Verona 2000.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vitali, Giancarlo 1929 births 2018 deaths People from the Province of Como 20th-century Italian painters 20th-century Italian male artists Italian male painters 21st-century Italian painters Italian contemporary artists Italian engravers Religious artists 21st-century Italian male artists 20th-century engravers