Late Afternoon below St. Mark’s Square, Venice ~Felice Castegnaro

Biography

Felice Castegnaro (1872 – 1958) Italian ,also known as Felice Castagnaro, began painting at the end of the 19^th century at the Academy of Vicenza, then moved to Venice and continued his studies at the age of seventeen at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, under the guidance of Ettore Tito.

His paintings were characterised by a quick stroke and para-Impressionist palette.

He had his first exhibitions in Verona and Vicenza in 1899 and then participated in his first national exhibition the following year, when he exhibited the work Venice in summer at the Milan Triennale.

In 1901 he made a name for himself with the painting Raggi d’oro at the IV Venice Biennale: the painting was highly appreciated by critics, paving the way for the most important national and international exhibitions.

Since then, he has taken part in nine editions of the Venice Biennale and in several exhibitions throughout Italy, including Rome, Florence and Turin. In 1914 King Victor Emmanuel III bought his painting Mammina, now in the collections of the Quirinale Palace.

Of considerable importance were his exhibitions at Ca’ Pesaro in 1912 and 1930, becoming part of the group known as the Rebels of Ca’Pesaro, his participation in the National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Milan as well as his presence with 21 works at the Exhibition of the Forty Years of the Venice Biennale in 1935.

He died in Zero Branco, in the province of Treviso, at the age of 86. The town has dedicated the name of a street to him.

Gallery notes: This fabulous large scale impressionist painting has been professionally relined on a new support canvas in 2003, cleaned, lightly restored and varnished. Presented in the original Italian carved wood frame.