User:Mmesenasco/Giovanni Giani

Giovanni Giani (Turin, January 11th 1866 – Torino, December 14th 1936) was an italian painter.

Biography
Giovanni Giani is the son of the painter Giuseppe Giani, who introduced him to the study of painting from an early age, and of Giuseppina Giani, homonymous but not a relative of Giuseppe.

From 1881 to 1886 he attended Accademia Albertina, where his father taught, following the figure drawing course held by Enrico Gamba and the painting course by Andrea Gastaldi. Despite this training, closely linked to academic and history painting, Giani's adherence to the verismo current can be seen from the first works, which will characterize a large part of his production.

Throughout the 1890s Giani devoted himself mainly to the study of the landscape and populations of the Val d'Intelvi, his father's place of origin, the Biella area and the Valle d'Aosta region.

In the last years of the 19th century he worked as an engraver, creating numerous medals for the most disparate clients and events, including the 1883 International Exhibition of Fine Arts in Rome and the Kingdom of Italy, for which he created numerous military decorations and commemorative medals, some of which are now exhibited in the medal collection of the Roman National Museum at the Baths of Diocletian.

In 1903 he participated for the first time in the Venice Biennale, where he will exhibit continuously until 1926, gathering warm appreciations such as those of Enrico Thovez, The painter's success with the public was supported by purchases by members of the royal family or leading figures in Turin society: Queen Margherita of Savoy in 1906 bought the Roses morning; in 1919 Giovanni Agnelli bought Antechamber: the grandfather's house, for the price, very high at the time, of 8500 italian lire.

While remaining one of the most prominent exponents of Piedmontese verismo, over the years he approached themes from rocaille and liberty influences.

In the last years of his life he became a member of the board of directors of the Galleria Civica (today Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea) and president of the Society of Turin artists.

Giovanni Giani died in Turin on December 14, 1936.

Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano

 * Medaglia commemorativa Tommaso di Savoia, Duca di Genova (1874)
 * Medaglia commemorativa Vittorio Emanuele II, Re D'Italia (1878)
 * Medaglia commemorativa breccia di Porta Pia (1895)

Turin, Modern Art Gallery

 * Baptism in Cogne (1896)
 * White Butterfly (1900)

Turin, Carignano Palace

 * Cloe (1895)

Turin, Royal Palace

 * Alone (1897)

Trieste, Revoltella Museum

 * Last leaf (1910)

Bibiography
M. Bernardi, Arte piemontese, Torino 1937, p. 81; Mostra commemorativa delle opere di Giovanni Giani, introduzione di E. Zanzi, Torino 1938;

M. Bernardi, Ottocento piemontese, Torino 1946;

A. Dragone - J. Dragone-Conti, I paesisti italiani dell'Ottocento, Milano 1947;

F. Firmiani (a cura di), in Catalogo della Galleria d'arte moderna del Civico museo Revoltella, Trieste 1970;

A. Galvano (a cura di), La pittura a Torino all'inizio del secolo (1897-1918), Torino 1978;

F. Spalla - B. Gandola, I meé gent, Milano 1984, p. 67; R. Maggio Serra, in ''La pittura in Italia. L'Ottocento'', Milano 1991;

M.M. Lamberti, in ''La pittura in Italia. Il Novecento/1. 1900-1945'', I, Milano 1992;

V. Bertone, in ''Galleria civica d'arte moderna e contemporanea. L'Ottocento. Catalogo delle opere esposte'', a cura di R. Maggio Serra, Torino 1993;

M. Vinardi, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani vol. 54, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, Roma 2000;