Antonio Alciati Research Paper

Ambrogio Antonio Alciati (1878 - 1929)—Ambrogio Antonio Alciati was born in the town of Vercelli in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Alciati was from a poor family and his father was not around in the first six years of his life. His mother struggled to raise the young Alciati and she was a working artist herself. She made a living from designing insignias and votive drawings. Alciati was very talented as a young boy and the Hospice of the Poor in Vercelli was quite impressed with his artistic skills. The Hospice allowed the 9-year old Alciati to attend the Institute of Fine Arts at Vercelli, while he was in primary school. Realizing the potential of his talented skills, Alciati’s teacher at the Institute encouraged him to take day classes. Alciati received a scholarship from the municipality of Vercelli to attend the prestigious Brera Academy in Milan.

At the Brera Academy, Alciati was under the instruction of painter and influential art critic, Vespasian Caesar Bignami. Alciati was also trained and inspired by church painter, Giuseppe Mentessi and distinguished professor and Italian Painter, Cesare Heel.

For example, the pastel painting of “The Kiss,” depicts a man embracing a woman tightly. The woman drops the bouquet of flowers and bends slightly backwards as she receives the man’s kisses and adoration. The pastel color and blurry texture reveals the figure’s intense emotional expressions. His other famous painting “Il Convegno” or “the conference,” illustrates the emotional reunion of lovers. In the portrait, the woman places her arms on the gate in an expression of relief, while the man pull himself against the gate to kiss the woman. “Il Convegno” reveals the longing and yearning between the two figures. One of his late pieces was a painting of his daughter Amelia and his mother, which shows the mother feeding his