Felice Zennaro, Motherhood - Painted with black smoke on ceramic of an oval serving dish

Felice Zennaro, motherhood, early 1900s, Painted with black smoke on ceramic of an oval serving dish. The black smoke was then sealed with a fixer, and the painter masterfully rendered it on the shutters. At the bottom, the inscription reads “made with smoke …… F. Zennaro “. In good condition, except for a few minor scratches.

Felice Zennaro, also known as Leppa, was born on October 8, 1833, in Pellestrina, Venice province. His first artistic training took place at the Venice Academy, where he probably met Natale Schiavoni, who by then had settled permanently in the lagoon city. Later, Zennaro stayed in Milan, at the Brera Academy, as a student of Giuseppe Bertini, with studies often interrupted to voluntarily fight in the wars for independence against Austria, as evidenced by patriotic paintings such as La Battaglia della Bezzecca. An example of effective dramatic interpretation (Milan, Museo del Risorgimento), in which the artist was wounded and left for dead. In 1865, he exhibited in the purchased by the Brera Fine Arts Society Turca, and in 1898, he was in Turin with the painting Ingenuità e buon cuore; two years later, he exhibited First Steps at the Milan exhibition of 19th-century Lombard painting. Even themes related to gender often refer to the Risorgimento epic or are connected to it. Moreover, his activity as a portraitist is noteworthy, as evidenced by works such as Self-Portrait, Portrait of Count Francesco Annoni, Portrait of Mrs. Cottini (Milan, Contemporary Art Gallery). He died in Milan on March 7, 1926. His works are housed in the Risorgimento Museum and in the collection of portraits at Ospedale Maggiore in Milan.

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