Alberto Magnelli biography

Alberto Magnelli, born in 1888 in Florence, was an Italian painter. He approached painting as a self-taught artist in 1907, inspired by the great fresco cycles of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries present in Tuscany. From his early years, he showed interest in both ancient painting and the new artistic trends of the time. In 1909 and 1910 he participated in the Venice Biennale, where he had the opportunity to admire the works of artists such as Gustav Klimt. In 1912 he came into contact with the Florentine futurist avant-garde, but without officially joining the movement. In particular, he became friends with Ardengo Soffici, Giovanni Papini and Giuseppe Prezzolini.
In 1913 he took a trip to Paris, where he met artists such as Pablo Picasso, Max Jacob , Fernand Léger and Guillaume Apollinaire. This Parisian stay is fundamental for his artistic training and confirms his aesthetic choices. During this period, his interest was concentrated on geometric abstract painting , ahead of his time and developing an autonomous artistic language. The works created between 1913 and 1915 reflect his search for a synthesis between shape and color. In these paintings, Alberto Magnelli uses a combination of geometric shapes and bright colors to create dynamic and balanced compositions. His painting stands out for a thoughtful intellectual reflection and for the accurate construction of the image. During the First World War, Alberto Magnelli was called up to arms but did not actively participate in the conflict due to health problems. In the following years, he continues to explore geometric abstraction, always seeking a balance between shape and color. His work constantly evolves, but he maintains a strong coherence in the search for rigorous abstract painting. After the war, Alberto Magnelli returned to Paris only many years later. During the Second World War, he moved to Grasse with his wife Susi Gerson and became part of an artistic circle that included artists such as Sonia Delaunay and Jean Arp . During this period, he also dedicated himself to the production of collages and paintings on slate. In the following years, he participated in numerous exhibitions and retrospectives both in Italy and abroad. His works are exhibited in important artistic institutions such as the Solomon Guggenheim Museum in New York and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. He received numerous awards for his contribution to abstract art, including the First Grand Prize for Foreign Painting at the São Paulo Biennial in 1955.
Alberto Magnelli died in 1971 in Meudon, at age 82 years. His artistic legacy has been widely recognized and appreciated, and he is considered one of the pioneers of European and Italian abstractionism together with other artists such as Enrico Prampolini and Atanasio Soldati . His painting, characterized by the synthesis between form and color , continues to influence contemporary artists.