Luigi Montanarini

Luigi Montanarini was born on the 22nd of July 1906 in Florence and studied from 1927 to 1931 under Felice Carena at the Art Academy of his native town.
In the 1930s he joined the 'Scuola Romana' group, to which artists such as Afro, Cagli, Capogrossi, Fazzini, Mafai and Ziveri belonged to. Although he was interested in their themes and subject matters, he abandoned the group to find his own 'more European' artistical language and style. He exhibited world-wide and participated to the most important national and international art events: the Venice Biennale (in which he took part seven times and where, in 1958, a whole exhibition room was dedicated to his works) and in the Quadriennale in Rome (three times, having also his own room in 1956).

Montanarini was awarded the 'Pensionato artistico' in 1932, and won the Michetti prize in 1948 and 1954 as well as the Price of the city of Taranto in 2 different years. His works can be found in public collections in Italy and abroad, including the Modern Art museums of Rome, Milan and Bern as well as in the “Kunsthaus” of the canton of Aargau in Aarau.

While pursuing a brilliant career as an artist he did work as a teacher as well. From 1936 to 1938 he was professor at the Art Institute of Civita Castellana, in 1939 he became Director of the School of Arts of Velletri, while in 1940 he was appointed professor for figurative drawing at the Art Lyceum of Rome and in 1956 ordinary professor for painting at the Art Academy of Rome. He became director of the latter school in 1965. In 1966 he was appointed as a member of the High Arts Council of Italy.

Luigi Montanarini died on January the 7th of 1998 in Rome.