ANTONIO MANCINI (1852 - 1930)
Streetboy with Guitar, 1877 |
A pupil of Morelli at the
Naples Institute of Fine Arts, Mancini drew from his
master's teaching a strong interest in the 17th
century Neapolitan tradition. A studio companion of
Vincenzo Gemito, he turned to observation of the
popular world of Naples, painting types taken from
life. Mancini made his debut at Paris when only
twenty years old, in 1872, and established contact
with the Maison Goupil in the same year. His first
two periods spent in Paris were in 1875 and 1877-78.
Awareness of what was
happening on the scene in the French capital
confirmed the artist in his stylistic approach:
loose, rapid execution, pasta painting, effects of
light and colour. In the attempt to confer greater
brilliance on the figurative surface, Mancini added
fabrics, sequins,a and bits of coloured glass.
Success came late: after presenting a one-man-show
at the XII Biennial, he was appointed to the Italian
Academy in 1927.
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