Fiorenzo Tomea

Fiorenzo Tomea (Zoppé di Cadore, February 7, 1910 – Milan, November 16, 1960) was an Italian painter of the 20th century, known for his expressive style and a personal formal simplification with primitive influences. The youngest of ten children, his childhood was marked by poverty and the early loss of his father, which forced him to leave the mountains of Cadore at the age of twelve and move to Milan, where he began working in various trades. Despite these hardships, his passion for painting emerged early, thanks also to the encounter with the Veronese painter Masotto, who gave him his first colors.
In 1926 he moved to Verona, where he attended evening courses at the Accademia Cignaroli and became friends with artists such as Sandro Bini, Renato Birolli, and Giacomo Manzù. Returning to Milan, he met key figures of the Italian art scene, including Aligi Sassu, Bruno Cassinari, Domenico Cantatore, and Francesco Messina. The meeting with critic Edoardo Persico was crucial for his artistic development: through him, Tomea became acquainted with the works of Carlo Carrà, Ottone Rosai, metaphysical painting, Impressionism, Paul Cézanne, and the letters of Vincent van Gogh.
His artistic production is rich in recurring themes: Dolomite landscapes tinged with melancholy, still lifes of flowers or domestic objects, compositions of candles and masks. During the Second World War, he focused on subjects of displaced people and emigrants, depicting a sorrowful and wandering humanity. From the immediate postwar period, sacred themes became predominant, with works such as the Crucifixion of Christ and religious still lifes, which earned him recognition in the Vatican Museums.