Ennio Morlotti biography

- ENNIO MORLOTTI PAINTER

Ennio Morlotti was an Italian painter among the main protagonists of the Italian and European art scene of the second half of the twentieth 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 demonstrated exceptional talent in studying.

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

After leaving the factory, he moved to Florence and enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts, where he was followed by Felice Carena and graduated 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 landscape of Lecco, Ennio Morlotti went to Paris, where he had the opportunity to admire the original works of his beloved artists Cézanne e Picasso. This trip had a significant impact on his artistic education.

In 1940, Ennio Morlotti joined the artistic group called Corrente, inspired by the magazine Corrente di vita youth, directed by Ernesto Treccani. The movement is oriented towards French expressionism, from Van Gogh to the Fauves. In 1945, he married Anna and the following year he joined the Italian Communist Party, joining it for six months. Despite the economic difficulties, this period is very profitable from a cultural point of view for the artist. He signs the Manifesto of Realism , joins the Fronte Nuovo delle Arti and holds his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Il Camino in Milan.

In 1948, after the XXIV Venice Biennale, Ennio Morlotti defined his own artistic position, distancing himself from the members of the group who defined themselves as 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 hosts his works several times, recognizing his talent and his artistic importance.

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

Ennio Morlotti died suddenly in Milan in 1992, leaving a legacy of works that testify to his importance in Italian and European art of the second half of the twentieth century. His painting is distinguished by its organic density, his deep participation in nature and his 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.