Adolfo De Carolis

Adolfo De Carolis (Montefiore dell'Aso, January 6, 1874 - Rome, February 7, 1928) was an Italian painter, engraver, illustrator, xylographer and photographer

The protagonist of the idealist and symbolist Italian art between the nineteenth and twentieth century, De Carolis has influenced decisively in the developmental trends of floral taste, working equally even in the fields of illustration, painting and photography. While its location in the Liberty context, in which he is often placed by critics. His artistic faith in the Renaissance and Hermetic tradition is, in fact, polemically opposed to the organicistic whims of "new art", as is apparent in an article on Leonardo after a visit At the Turin International Contemporary Art Exhibition of 1902 His work is rather an evolution of pre-afraid aesthetics, strongly influenced by Japanese models and styles, on the one hand, and by a restless formalism of Michelangelo's style, on the other

De Carolis collaborated with great writers, illustrating works and works by Gabriele D'Annunzio and Giovanni Pascoli, with graphic and unmistakable, decoratively organic designs both for typographical architecture and content

De Carolis was born on January 6, 1874 by Gioacchino De Carolis, a medical practitioner, and by Ester Pompei; At twelve years he was sent to attend the Ripatransone (AP) seminar, leaving in 1888 to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. In 1892 he obtained a diploma in Bologna, he went to Rome to attend the school of pictorial decoration of Industrial Art Museum Begins with his master the restoration of Borgia apartments in the Vatican and continues with the decoration of Villa Blanc in Rome and Villa Brancadoro in the Marche In Rome he knows the painter Nino Costa, beginning to attend the cenacle he founded In libertas art Which proposed an aristocratic renewal of art through the rediscovery of the greats of the Florentine, on the example of the Preraffaellites Until 1901, his symbolist vein refers to landscape painting with tempera, oil, decorative mural painting and derivative design Arts and Crafts

Since becoming a member of the association "In Arte Libertas" in 1896, she has since become known pre-Raphaelian inspired paintings by La Primavera, exhibited at the Universal Exhibition of Saint Louis, The Woman of the Fountain, "The Way of Life", La Madonnina, winner of Alinari's Competition, Portrait of Lina's Wife, The Concert In 1899 he was invited to the III International Art Exhibition in Venice In 1900, Giovanni Pascoli's knowledge, as well as dealing with the graphic decoration of some of his publications, cesar for the poet Silver boss of a stick that is donated to Pascoli by the friends of the Marzocco He also receives the commission of Conti Forcioli Conti to draw the bronze tabernacle of the baptismal font where he was baptized Napoleon, located in the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Ajaccio In the same year l 'The Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia nominates him as a scholarly academic

The Florentine period:
In 1901 he received a professorship at Ornato's Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, where he moved to a house on the shore of Mugnone. They are the years of friendship and artistic association with Gabriele d'Annunzio. Time to stay at Villa della Capponcina The artist in Florence decorates the Villino Puccioni, performs the "Portrait of Marianna Fabbri" and participates in the contest of the Fratelli Alinari for illustrations of a luxurious twentieth-century re-release of the Divine Comedy

In 1902, against the opinion of the family, she married the model Quintilina Ciucci, called Lina, born in Anticoli Corrado The marriage is happy and five children are born In 1903 Gabriele d'Annunzio is the godfather of the firstborn Donella, so baptized on his suggestion De Carolis makes her a cradle with engravings of Dannunzian verses

Henceforth Adolfo De Carolis begins a vast artistic production with the collaboration and creation of literary and artistic journals: he collaborates with the magazines "Leonardo", "Hermes", "Marquis illustrated magazine", "Novissima" and others, And the greatest artists of the time, such as the anthropologist Nello Puccioni and the sculptors Libero Andreotti and Leonardo Bistolfi

In 1903 he performs the portrait of Countess Venturini and illustrates with xilographs the edition of "Francesca da Rimini" and in 1904 de La Ida daughter of Gabriele D'Annunzio, who also performs the poster and cares for sketches and costumes for the ' Theatrical set-up Also performs the xilographs of Primit Poemetti and Conviviali Poemi di Giovanni Pascoli In 1905 he edits with Galileo Chini, Tommasi, Tofanari and Lolli the first exhibition of the Art of Tuscany In the same year he performs drawings for the editions of La torta sotto il moggio And of the "Elegie Romane" by D'Annunzio At the request of the young poet Marino Moretti illustrates the collections "Fraternity" (1905) and "The mosquito serenade" (1908) The Villino Regis de Oliveira frescoes in Rome, subsequently demolished From 1906 In 1912 he illustrates the 4 volumes of the Dannunziane "Laudi of heaven, sea, earth and heroes"

Between 1907 and 1908, the artist devoted himself to the decoration of the Salone delle Feste in the Palace of the Government of Ascoli Piceno In order to carry out his paintings he does not want any compensation and rejects all the jobs offered in that period With this gesture and his work Expresses gratitude to the Provincial Administration of Ascolana who had conferred the scholarship of the Pio Sodalizio dei Piceni This allows him to attend the School of Painting Decoration of the Industrial Art Museum of Rome achieving, at the end, the gold medal in the year 1895 In these paintings, seen from the chromatic point of view as his masterpiece, the Marche artist celebrates the labors of the piceno people, by combining the local themes with the ancient myths. In 1908 the artist travels to Loreto for the inauguration of the dome of the Basilica painted by Cesare Maccari; There he knows the musician Giovanni Tebaldini, establishing a long and fruitful friendship

In 1909 he still works for D'Annunzio, who is now the favorite illustrator, with the edition of the archaic and symbolist "Fedra" tragedy. De Carolis performs in the woodcut all the famous Dannunzano sluts, short phrases created by the poet to emphasize Special events that have been or are being promoted: valuable works, as well as the ex libris series elaborated by De Carolis for famous characters such as Eleonora Duse At the suggestion of his friend Gabriele D'Annunzio de Carolis, he signed Karolis in many book illustrations

In 1911 he began decorating the Salona del Podestà in the Palace of the Podestà of Bologna, for which he won the competition in 1907: the theme of the Fasti of the city of Bologna is faced in six large historical squares on the north wall, in the peducci with the Great characters in Bologna and in the decoration of the huge ceiling, where he depicts "The Ancient World", "Christianity", "The Towns" and "The Renaissance" The colossal work engages the artist for many years until his death Will be completed From collaborators and students, including brother Dante and generous Diego Pettinelli

In the Italian and Regional Retrospective Exhibition in Florence, he received from the Chamber of Commerce and Arts the Gold Medal Diploma illustrated by Odi and Hymns of Pascoli and the third book of Laudi di D'Annunzio, L'Alcione In 1912 he always illustrates D 'Annunzio The Songs of the Overseas Gesti, IV Laudi's Book In the same year, De Carolis and his students created for the publisher Angelo Fortunato Formiggini the covers of the "La classica dei laureati" necklace In 1914 De Carolis created for Formiggini also 41 xilographs For the series of Italian playing cards

Until 1913 he collaborated with the magazine "L'Eroica", founded by Spezia da Cozzani and Oliva, with the most faithful of Florentine pupils, including Barbieri, Costetti and Nonni

In 1914 he presented for Pascoli and Giosuè Carducci the collection of all poems for the Zanichelli types In the same year he created the cover of the booklet of the film-colossal Cabiria, conceived by d'Annunzio

In 1915 he obtained the chair of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, where he teaches Decoration; Two years later, however, he will move to Bologna

In 1916 he collaborated with the magazine of the Touring Club Italiano From 1916 to 1920 he worked in Pisa to decorate the University Magnaula The work, which focuses on the so-called "Galilean Triptych", with the Scenes of Glory and Consecration of Galileo, Will be lost due to the bombings of World War II

In 1918 he was acquainted with the Bruno da Osimo Marche painter, who started the x-color art. De Carolis continued his partnership with D'Annunzio, creating new motto, logos and xylographs that will illustrate the famous Nightwatch, edited by Treves and collaborating with Guido Marussig and other famous Painters to illustrate the "Trench" periodical for soldiers at the front

Lesser Arts:
A passionate folk of popular art, De Carolis is interested in textiles, ceramics, and traditional wooden furniture decorations. In 1920 he promoted the opening of "Folk Art Shops", interesting in Sardinia, Sicily, Abruzzo , Etc. Draw for the theatrical works of Annunzio the costumes and sculptures of Eleonora Duse on commission creates precious book bindings, silver pendants with head Medusa vases and for the company Lepit a series of refined Murano glass containers for Perfumes "Dannunziani" (the names evoke the river company: laura Laurana, the rose of the mouths,)

At the request of the proprietor of Varnelli, he revises the figure of the Appennine Sibilla to use it on the label of the herbal liqueur

In the field of ceramics, strong in the experience gained in Florence at the Richard-Ginori and Cantagalli at the time of the construction of Villa Blanc, he established a fruitful collaboration with the firm of ceramics of his friend Marquis Giuseppe Matricardi, who provides drawings for some Dishes, decorations and tableware In 1913 he also designs the floral decorations and ceramics that adorn the villa Matricardi di Grottammare

In the course of his career, he drafted studies on bank notes, titles, calendars, posters (Il Marzocco 1900, Venice Biennale in 1909, Anniversary of the Battle of Castelfidardo in 1910, International Exhibition of Turin Industries and Work in 1911, Ramon Escudo) , Postcards, labels and drawings (Rimini City, Faenza 1908, Regional Art Exhibition of Ancona, airline company Ottorino Pomilio) In 1924, he participated with numerous other artists in the creation of the famous Veni vd catalog Vici, wanted by the entrepreneur Giuseppe Verzocchi

Adolfo De Carolis also writes numerous essays such as "The aesthetics of the landscape", published on "Leonardo" on March 29, 1903, "Modern decorative art", appeared in "Hermes" in April 1904, "L'Arte popolare italiana" Published on "La Fionda" on October 3, 1920 and a small illustrated treatise of 1924, "La Xilografia", published by "La Fiamma", Rome. In an attempt to bring back the desuet wood engraving technique, woodcut, The Xylograph Society promoted by L'Eroica magazine, becoming its president and promoting the International Exhibition of Xylography in Levanto in Liguria Numerous De Carolis students become famous artists: Domenico Baccarini, Francesco Nonni, Gino Barbieri, Dario Neri, Bruno Marsili, Ferruccio Pasqui, Diego Pettinelli, and Antonello Moroni

The postwar period:
After the First World War, De Carolis moved to Rome where he drew diplomas and medals from the Ministry of War. The fame he gained in 1919 became part of the Victorian decoration subcommittee and commissions for the erection of monuments to the fallen In the cities of Osimo and Cortona In the same year D'Annunzio commissioned him the design for the commemorative medal of the Fiume company with the motto "Hic manebimus optime" In 1920 he performed the illustrations for the "Album of Victory" (and Alfieri Lacroix) And the woodcut for the book-portrait of musician Luisa Baccara, companion D'Annunzio

In 1921, a small Dante's woodcut for the centennial Dantesco, followed by a large front portrait of Dante who meditates on the Divine Comedy D'Annunzio, intervenes to buy the portrait, the "Dante Adriacus" reminiscence in memory of the river company and Puts it in the library of Vittoriale From 1921 to 1928 De Carolis works on illustrations for the bold Greek Poets' Necklace translated by Ettore Romagnoli for the publisher Zanichelli The opera, which sees the return to classical and two-dimensional settings will continue after his death By Alessandro Morani and the generous Diego Pettinelli

Since 1922 he moved to the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he taught Scenography and then Decoration Contemporarily proceeds with the fresco of the rooms of the Palazzo della Provincia di Arezzo The work will be completed in 1924 In the years 1924-25 decora, with the 'Help of the generous Pettinelli, the Votive Chapel dedicated to the Fallen War in the Collegiate Church of San Ginesio (MC)

In 1925 he worked at the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua, where he began the work of decoration of the Chapel of St. Francis Realizes the two upper lunettes, while the lower part of the chapel will be finished by Ubaldo Oppi with the stories of St. Francis Nello the same year Is named "Virtuoso of Merit" in the Academy of Virtues at the Pantheon

In 1926 he frescoed the Palazzetto Veneto in Ravenna and embellished a small edition of the "Fioretti" of St. Francis of his xilographies In the same year he worked the window with the risen Christ and the mosaic for the funeral Chapel of Villa Puccini at Torre del Lago In 1927

In 1926 he frescoed the Venetian Venetian in Ravenna and embellished a small edition of the "Fioretti" of St. Francis of his xilographies In the same year he elaborated the window with risen Christ and the mosaic for the funeral chapel of Villa Puccini in Torre del Lago In 1927 the Cosulich Trieste's Company of Navigation orders him a painting to decorate one of the luxurious salons of the new cruise ship Saturnia In those years De Carolis wins the competition for the decoration of the Basilica of S Francesco in Ravenna, with a great exposition of Dante's trip in the three kingdoms , But will not be able to complete the work, which will remain in the project state

The artist after a long illness and a trip to take care of the Pasteur Institute in Paris dies at 54 years in Rome on February 7, 1928 He is buried with public burials at the Verano Cemetery In 1929 the National Academy of San Luca , Of which De Carolis was a member, organizes in Rome a great exhibition of his works, inaugurated by King Vittorio Emanuele III On September 8, 1950 his remains are translated into the church of San Francesco of the native Montefiore dell'Aso

Curiosity:
De Carolis used Renaissance in the garments of some of the painted characters: in the frescoes of the palace of the Podestà in Bologna, he is depicted in San Petronio's apparel, while in the Palazzo della Provincia in Arezzo he is portrayed among the "Great" aretines in Dresses by Margaritone d'Arezzo The model for almost all female figures was instead the beloved wife Lina

De Carolis's eldest daughter was born in Florence in 1903 and was named Donella Albadora Biancofiore, at the suggestion of Gabriele d'Annunzio. He was also a painter and xylographist

Frescos:
Villa Brancadoro
Salon with the Great Aretini, Palace of the Province, Arezzo
Galilean Triptych, University of Pisa
Chapel and Crucifix of St. Ginesion, Collegiate of St. Ginesion
The Fastes of the City of Bologna, Palazzo del Podestà, Bologna
Volta and lunette in the Chapel of St. Francis, Basilica of St. Anthony, Padua
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