Virgilio Guidi

Virgilio Guidi was a prominent Italian painter, poet, and essayist born in Rome in 1891. The son of Guido Costantino Guidi, a sculptor and poet, and Caterina Rischia, he grew up in an artistic environment that deeply influenced his development. After attending the Technical Institute in Rome, he left his studies in 1908 to pursue painting, beginning an apprenticeship with the restorer Giovanni Capranesi. In 1911, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he studied masters such as Giotto, Piero della Francesca, Correggio, and French painters like Chardin and Courbet.
His artistic career officially began in 1913 when he won the "Lana" painting competition and started exhibiting his works. Guidi was distinguished by his personal interpretation of light and space, fundamental elements in his paintings that ranged from landscapes to human figures, combining emotional and rational approaches. In the 1920s, he regularly participated in the Venice Biennale, gaining important recognition, notably for his 1924 work "Il tram." In 1932, he obtained a teaching position at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice but moved to Bologna in 1935 due to an unfriendly environment, continuing to exhibit and receive acclaim.
His artistic production went through various thematic cycles, from abstract seascapes to cosmic architectures, influenced by his travels and contact with nature and Venice. Guidi is considered one of the great masters of 20th-century Italian art, able to combine painting, poetry, and essay writing into a multifaceted work deeply rooted in tradition and innovation. He died in Venice in 1984, leaving a significant artistic legacy recognized nationally and internationally.