Ennio Morlotti biography

- ENNIO MORLOTTI PAINTER

 

Ennio Morlotti was an Italian painter and one of the main figures in the Italian and European art scene of the late 20th century. He was born in Lecco, on Lake Como, in 1910, into a modest family. His childhood was spent in a boarding school, where he showed exceptional talent in his studies.

In 1923, he began working as an accountant in an oil mill and later as an employee in a paint factory and a worker in a mechanical factory until 1936. Despite the difficulties in his life, Ennio Morlotti dedicated himself to the study of ancient art in churches and museums, also developing an interest in contemporary art. He decided to pursue his passion for painting and obtained his artistic diploma as a private student at Brera.

After leaving the factory, he moves to Florence and enrolls at the Accademia di Belle Arti, where he is mentored by Felice Carena and graduates with top marks, presenting a thesis on Giotto. In 1937, thanks to the proceeds from the sale of three paintings exhibited in a competition dedicated to the Lecco landscape, Ennio Morlotti travels to Paris, where he has the opportunity to admire the original works of his beloved artists Cézanne and Picasso. This trip has a significant impact on his artistic development.

In 1940, Ennio Morlotti joined the artistic group called Corrente, inspired by the magazine Corrente di vita giovanile, directed by Ernesto Treccani. The movement leaned towards French expressionism, from Van Gogh to the Fauves. In 1945, he married Anna and the following year he joined the Italian Communist Party, adhering to it for six months. Despite economic difficulties, this period was very fruitful culturally for the artist. He signed the Manifesto of Realism, joined the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti, and held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Il Camino in Milan.

In 1948, after the XXIV Venice Biennale, Ennio Morlotti defined his artistic position, distancing himself from the members of the group who called themselves realists. In the 1950s, he produced some of the most significant works of informal art not only in Italy but also in Europe. The Venice Biennale hosted his works several times, recognizing his talent and artistic importance.

In the following years, Ennio Morlotti continued to exhibit in important national and international exhibitions. In 1988, at the Venice Biennale, his large figures of matter amazed critics with their expressive power and the sense of space that characterizes them. Ennio Morlotti worked with passion until the last years of his life, dedicating himself to larger paintings and developing a new interest in Romanesque architecture.

Ennio Morlotti suddenly died in Milan in 1992, leaving behind a legacy of works that testify to his importance in Italian and European art of the late 20th century. His painting is distinguished by its organic density, its deep engagement with nature, and its desire to achieve harmony and hallucination in light. Ennio Morlotti remains forever one of the great masters of contemporary art, whose work continues to inspire and fascinate art lovers around the world.