Artist: Ernesto Treccani
Title: Untitled
Year: Not specified
Technique: Colored pastels on paper
Dimensions: 29.7 x 21 cm
Signature: Signed on the front

The artwork is mounted within a passepartout. 

Biography

Ernesto Treccani, born in Milan in 1920 and son of the founder of the famous encyclopedia, lived in the city that would become the center of his artistic career. Although he initially pursued engineering studies, from a young age he became involved with Milan’s avant-garde artistic groups. In 1940, he exhibited for the first time at the Bottega di Corrente and in 1943 at the Gallerie Corrente and della Spiga, also founding and directing the magazine Corrente.

During his formative years, Treccani developed a language that diverged from official 20th-century art, drawing inspiration from Picasso and the naturalism of the Lombard painting tradition. After the war and resistance experience, he became a writer for the magazines Il 45 and Realismo, as well as an animator of the Pittura group. In 1949, his first solo exhibition at the Il Milione gallery marked an important milestone in his career. During this period, Paris became a crucial reference point for his work, which explored themes such as portraiture, landscapes, urban views, and still life, while also engaging in a dialogue with the political commitment that characterized many artists of the time.

In 1950, he participated in the Venice Biennale, presenting black-and-white works, and returned to exhibit in 1952 and 1956. Throughout the 1950s, he gained international recognition, exhibiting in London and New York. In 1956, a trip to China deeply influenced his production, as evidenced by a series of drawings and watercolors inspired by that culture.

In the 1970s, Treccani created large-scale paintings, often focusing on gardens, hedges, and landscapes, as well as a series of watercolors dedicated to his trip to Cuba. In 1976, he participated in a cultural project organized by the Soviet Ministry of Culture, exhibiting in Volgograd, Moscow, and Leningrad. His art was shaped by his numerous travels, including within Italy, from which he drew inspiration from various locations.

In 1978, he founded the Corrente Foundation with the goal of collecting and studying works and documents from the Corrente movement and Realism. The foundation continues today as a hub for cultural exchange, debates, and exhibitions. In the 1980s, Nice became one of his favorite "creative stays," and one of his most famous works from this period is La casa delle rondini (The House of Swallows), a facade adorned with around two thousand ceramic tiles, which houses the Foundation and the Studio Treccani Collection in Milan.

Ernesto Treccani passed away in 2009 in Milan, leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary art scene.