Luis de Servi
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Luigi De Servi (4 June 1863 – 25 June 1945) was a French-
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
painter active mainly painting sacred subjects in a late-
Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...
style in
Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
, Tuscany, Italy.


Biography

He was born in
Lucca Lucca ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its province has a population of 383,957. Lucca is known as one ...
to a painter named Pietro de Servi. He left during the second year of gymnasium, despite his father's opposition, to enroll in the Regio Istituto di Belle Arti di Lucca, under the director Luigi Norcini. He first exhibited four works at the 29th Esposizione della Società Promotrice di Belle Artists in Genoa. In 1883, along with his eldest sister, a seamstress, he travelled to
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
while twelve siblings remain in Lucca. He sold a number of works in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, and soon obtained commissions for portraits, signing "Luis De Servi". He enticed most of his siblings to move to Argentina. In 1884, he painted frescoes for the "
Casa Rosada The ''Casa Rosada'' (, eng, Pink House) is the office of the president of Argentina. The palatial mansion is known officially as ''Casa de Gobierno'' ("House of Government" or "Government House"). Normally, the president lives at the Quinta de ...
" in Buenos Aires. He also decorated the entrance rotonda, depicting the primitive life of the Argentines, of the Museo de La Plata. In 1886, he painted a ''Triumph of the Province of Buenos Aires'' for the Vestibule of the Senate Chamber in Buenos Aires. In 1887, the province commissioned portraits of 70 governors from 1810 to 1877 to be exhibited in Casa Rosada. He lost nearly all his investments in a bank failure. He decided to briefly return to Lucca, but returned to Argentina for another year. In 1890–1891, he returned to Lucca, and opened a studio. He linked up with Michele Marcucci and Domenico Martinelli, to fresco 12 lunettes in the arches of the choir in the city cemetery. Due to scarce commissions in Lucca, he worked for 20 months in London mainly as a portrait artist. In 1892, he returned to Lucca to paint frescoes in Villa Lavarello,
Varazze Varazze (; lij, Väze) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Savona in the Italian region of Liguria, located about west of Genoa and about northeast of Savona in the Riviera di Ponente. Nearby in the Ligurian Apennines is the Mon ...
and for the church of Santa Caterina in Lucca. In 1893, he travelled to Paris to paint portraits for the Argentine Augusto Belin Sarmiento, but also gained local commissions. He returned to Italy to paint the apse of the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli ad Alassio. In 1898, he painted the decorations for the piano room of the house of
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini ( Lucca, 22 December 1858Bruxelles, 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long ...
in
Torre del Lago Torre del Lago (Tower of the Lake) is a town of almost 11,000 inhabitants, a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Viareggio, in the province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, between the Lake of Massaciuccoli and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Festival Puccini, ...
. He worked alongside Plinio Nomellini,
Ferruccio Pagni Ferrucio Pagni (11 September 1866 – 20 November 1935) was a French-Italian painter active mainly painting sacred subjects in a late-Mannerist style in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. Biography He was born in Livorno, and studied from 1879 to 1886 at t ...
, and Edoardo De Albertis. In 1905, he frescoed the railroad station of Genova Brignole. In 1906, he was named Cavaliere della Corona d'Italia. In 1909, he joins the "Giovane Italia", artistic group. He travels to Uruguay, Argentina and Paris. In 1910, De Servi returned to Buenos Aires to fresco the ceiling of the Presidential room in the Palazzo del Governo, and also painted panels depicting ''L'Italia al Mar del Piata'' for the Bank of Italy and Rio de La Piata. In 1914, De Servi returned to Italy, where he continues to paint portraits. In 1915, he painted the main altarpiece of the church of San Cristoforo in Lucca, depicting the name saint. In 1917 and 1918 he had personal expositions in
Viareggio Viareggio () is a city and ''comune'' in northern Tuscany, Italy, on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. With a population of over 62,000, it is the second largest city within the province of Lucca, after Lucca. It is known as a seaside resort as ...
and Lucca respectively. In 1920–1922, he returned to Argentina. In 1923, he painted a portrait of
Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
for Sena and Carlo Spiccani, that was gifted to Mussolini himself. In 1924, De Servi wrote an open letter to the "Giornale d'Italia", criticizing the paper's confrontation of the government. As a fascist, he declared he would now boycott the paper he once loyally read. In 1926, he was named secretary of the newly established ''Fascist Syndicate of Lucchese Artists''. In 1926, he exhibited in the foyer of the Teatro Nazionale of Rome. In 1931, he had personal exhibitions at Lucca and Viarregio. In 1933, he painted two large canvases for the new Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca. In 1938, he exhibited at a "Mostra di pittori liguri dell'Ottocento", at the Palazzo Rosso, Genoa. In 1939, he had a personal exhibition at the Galleria Gerì of Milan.Palazzo Ducale of Lucca
, exhibition biography.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Servi, Luigi de 1863 births 1945 deaths 19th-century Italian painters Italian male painters 20th-century Italian painters Argentine painters Argentine male painters Painters from Lucca Italian fascists 19th-century Italian male artists 20th-century Italian male artists Italian emigrants to Argentina