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Our editorials   Here is the complete text of the editorial:   figurative "FROM FATTORI TO MODIGLIANI: The Macchiaioli School " by Carlo Pepi For the first time a collection of works of the Macchaioli painters will be held in Sardinia , with an exhibition of 170 pictures of the Pepi Collection. 1) at the Logudoro Foundation in Banari from the 28th of May till the 31st of July 2) at the Municipality Centre of Art Exmà – in Cagliari from the 10th of August till the 6th of November FROM FATTORI TO MODIGLIANI The Macchaioli School The main realities of Art in Italy at the first half of the 19th century, they are in early definitions , in the following state: In Naples was in force until the 17th century the tradition to paint the reality at the open air; just here Turner started his wide range researches, which should lead him to very modern solutions, anticipating what will happen many times after . In 1824 he stayed there Bonington and in the 1826 Corot. They were at work Pitloo and Smargiassi: this last imported the taste of the French art and particularly that practised by the Barbizon group. They were working for more Gigante, famous landscapes painter and the four Palizzi brothers. The other reality of particular interest was that of Milan , lively town of high cultural intelligence, where was spreading the personality of Hayez, pupil of the Tuscan Luigi Sabatelli, master of the romantic painters who broke away from the Lombard canons , better represented by Canovali. There were other realities represented by Cremona, Ranzoni, Migliara and the Induno brothers; the younger of these, Domenico, will be in exile in Florence and will become friend of the artists attending the Michelangelo Coffee Pub. In the Lombard town it will take place the Scapigliatura Movement and successively the Divisionism. In Tuscany Pietro Benvenuti directed the Fine Arts Academy in Florence till the year 1844, year of his death. He hold the Academy in a static position, preserver, adverse to the growing Romanticism. He deceived to keep the art subjugated to the Renaissance records and established a sort of neoclassical dictatorship, in context with the age reality and separating his school from the progressive currents if the period. Bezzuoli succeeded him remaining in charge till his death, in a855. He was one master of the future Macchiaioli painters and the uncontested protagonist of the new historical-romantic taste which a lot of interest collected in his town. Contemporaneously to Bezzuoli, he started his teaching in a private school Luigi Mussini, co worked by Sturler and successively by Pollastrini. In this severe school will flourish the Purism and will train Lega. From the 1844 on they started to join the Florence Academy the more volitive, enterprising and revolutionary candidate artists of Italy; this , thanking to the artistic importance of the town, and also for the Gran Duke liberality. In this year Lega affirmed himself , then in ’46 Fattori and successively they reached Florence other painters who joined the Macchiaioli Club. They were ages of large ferments , both in political than in artistic field and the Florence environment becomes early a fervid forge: the Academy student sided together against the old way of thinking and those who retained to be overtaken stilemas ; parallelly to the libertary ideologies , they started to feel lively the need of a general renewing in all the sectors. As resolute revolutionaries , they actively participated to the Indipendence Wars and at the same time look for new ways for Art, applying themselves to positivist, realist and verist theories. They didn’t passed under silence the polemics between classicals and romantics , the half-serious letter of Berchet and the Manzoni poetics, where the Romanticism was defined “ a detestable use of mythology” and where was affirmed that the poetry should propose the truth as subject. Then there was the struggle between D’Azeglio and Selvatico on the contingent situation of arts in Italy. In France from long time, it was in use to paint at the open air. In the Twenties it was established the School of Barbizon with Daubigny, a friend of Corot and Daumier; Rousseau, De La Pena, Tryon and Millet. The painters went to the open air in the country side to reproduce landscape scenes , capturing shadows and lights of the nature in different moments of the day. They composed not the ideal imagine of the reality, but from life , in its daily displays. Still in France they matured the relevant personalities of Delacroix, Courbet, Dechamps, Corot, Daumier, Delaroche. When this last died in 1856, the young Florentines granted him imposing last honours in the Holy Cross Church: they modelled a gigantic statue representing the Art claiming for the irremediable lost and they placed it beside a symbolic bier, sited at the centre of the nave , testifying so all their esteem . Corot passed in Florence without stimulating any particular impression; some evidence of his influence it can be found successively in the Costa works. In 1853 was established a group in Staggia Senese who was planning studies at the open air. The society was leaded by Carlo Markò, frigid and mannered landscapes painter, follower of Giovanni Signorini at the Florence court, and was composed also by the two sons Carlo Jr and Andrea, and more Serafino De Tivoli, Gelati, Ademollo and La Volpe. So we get to a crucial point which introduces the period of which this exhibition treats . Towards the middle of the Fifty, a group of young Florentines students, disappointed by the static Academy, started to feel domineeringly the absolute need to break any delay with the Past; they stopped to paint inside the class rooms , they context what they retain anachronistic to date , that is the use to do a true “false” in the history and subject pictures. They prefer to attend more frequently the coffee pub tables, more than the school benches. In 1852 Antonio Puccinelli forwarded a certain taste which will take place many ears later , painting the “Muro Torto promenade” with noticeable lights and shadows synthesis which will confirm again with some outline. In 1854 Telemaco Signorini and Odoardo Borrani started , at the return of some their open air sessions, to meet at the Caffè dell’Onore in Borgo La Croce; soon Vincenzo Cabianca joined the group , coming from the Venice Academy; he passed from Milan, where he remained attracted from the art of Induno. Successively the small group enlarged with the participation of Raffaello Sernesi amd Giuseppe Abbati: between all them it took place a linkage of wills which transforms itself in friendship. At the beginning they started to go at the open air not to paint the picture, but to study the picture. The group started to attend , instead of the Academy, the neighbour Coffe , which it is placed in the parallel Via Larga, which became Via Cavour. This Caffè will become, thanking to them and others who joined , the famous Caffè Michelangiolo, which in the ’67, for the poor availabilities of the lively and numerous frequenters , was forced to close. It was sad to look the fine plate as a souvenir of glorious past, remaining over rooms assigned to other activities. Recently – and it is a nice new for the art and culture generally – the new owner communicated the wish to open again the Caffè and manage conferences and exhibitions, starting with works conceived in those locals; he asked for my collaboration and the lending of operas. Obviously I gave my enthusiastic support to the excellent purpose which renew and keep alive the mind of that magical and not reproducible period for the Italian and European Art. “Very near to the Academy and Conservatory, the Caffè itself seemed as a planned headquarter of the Future, as a fortress of the Past. Opened about the year 1845, it was immediately crowded by the lively and noisy multitude of painters, sculptors, literary men..” like it recites the preface of Baccio Maria Bacci in the new edition of “Caricaturisti and caricaturati al Caffè Michelangiolo” by Telemaco Signorini , where the artist describe the exploits of all the personages who attended those locals and where reproduced the vignettes drawn by the group caricaturist , Angiolo Tricca. The meetings at the Caffè gave soon some results, thanking to the researches , to the exchanges of experiences, to the contacts, to the vivid discussions intercalated to jokes , in an environment sometimes similar to a babel. From that period on the academic teaching was divided in two parts: one following the official conduction and it will not have future, the other enterprises the revolutionary way, discussed and pondered around the tables of the Caffè dell’Onore before, than at the Caffè Michelangiolo. These frequenters who will embrace the revolutionary way, will take the name of “Macchiaioli”. The group, to date established, was composed by Serafino De Tivoli, Antonio Puccinelli , Telemavco Signorini, Odoardo Borrani, Raffaello Sernesi, Vincenzo Cabianca, Cristiano Banti , Giovanni Fattori, Silvestro Lega, Adriano Cecioni, Vito D’ Ancona, Giuseppe Abbati, Nino Costa, Giovanni Boldini, Federico Zandomeneghi, Giuseppe De Nittis. More than literaly men , poets, students, they frequented the Caffè also other artists not comprised in the Macchiaioli Group: between them the caricaturist Angelo Tricca and others considered as imitators, between those he was Luigi Bechi. Further we must underline Diego Martelli as a main promoter of the Caffè and important critic and Maecenas of the Group. When he was still young and with short trousers he was introduced in the environment of the Caffè by Annibale Gatti, painter who remained extraneous to the movement. In ’56 back from a journey to Paris, they approached the Caffè, Serafino De Tivoli and Altamura. In Paris they visited the Universal Exposition and they had the opportunity to acknowledge some exponents of Art. Altamura was impressed by Decamps and , at the Caffè talked about the “ton gris” and the expedient of the blackened mirror to see the decolorated nature to remark the light-dark values. Also De Tivoli agreed the doctrine ; he frequented the laboratory of Trovon and Rosa Boneur and achieved the teaching of the Barbizioniers. As Martelli referred , De Tivoli spoke with enthusiasm of the multitude of trees pierced by the strokes of brush representing the sky “with involved and sibylline tone “ rendering all listening with open mouth and following him in the countryside experiments. In June they approached the Michelangiolo Caffè Celentano and Morelli: this last came from a long journey through the Lombardy , the Germany, the Belgium , the Nederland, and Paris, where he also visited the Exposition, before his journey to England. He enchanted all with his verve of Neapolitan, with the personal charm , with the ardour of the temperament and the novelty of subjects. Further Martelli wrote “: He exalted all the minds and became the general wonder”. They started to speak about touch, impression, value and light-dark. They matched the theory with the works of the Demidoff collection, comprehending the protagonist of the French art of the fisrt half of the 19th century. The same happened for the pictures exposed in the Ombrellino Villa of the Baron Desboutin. The seed thrown by Morelli will soon give fruits: the age was mature for a complete blossoming. And it happened that the Florentine group found one’s way , so that Celentano, who approached the Caffè at the same time of Morelli from Naples, wrote to his wife “As they feel the real beauty these Tuscan painters ! It is a wonder ; all is Italian , right Italian .” De Grada rightly observed “From Naples they came the Lights , but they should bright only in Florence”. From the flery polemics between classicism and romanticism, it born the realism. In this period of artistic revolution, they met tendencies of different kind: one estremist, leaded by Signorini, to which they adhere Borrani, Banti and Sernesei; the other reformist which introduced the concept of light-colour and it is practised by Fattori, Lega, D’Ancona, Abbati. From these meetings- matches it established the macchiaioli ideology. The movement takes the name from the new way to paint with touches of colour and with real and proper blobs . The name born casually and in depreciative sense, as to say “those who paint blobs”, which means “pataccari”, but resulted fit and immediately gave the concept of the solution that was found. It was used for the first time in an issue , edited on the 3rd of November of 1862 with the signature of Luigi, , on the “Gazzetta del Popolo” , where, in polemics with the Signorini issue on the paper “La Nuova Europa” of the 19th of October of 1862 , the reporter claims , for more, the lack of the form and the drawn. Fattori, in his autobiographic memories for Ojetti, wrote “the blob consisted in watch in the reality a figure standing out of a back ground , like a white wall or a limpid atmosphere or other subjects. I clearly mind that Cabianca showed us a picture which was inspired by the watching of a black pig in front of a white wall in Porta alla Croce. Here is the blob..” Cecioni wrote “For Macchiaioli painters all is fine in nature from the art point of view and the blob consisted in rendering the impressions that received from alive by means of blob of light and dark colours , every one provided of a proper value to measure with the matching. So operating the aimed to “surprise” the nature, rapidly and synthetically evocating the appearances..” An other “macchia” prerogative was that of report from the nature to refer from the nature the link of pure colours in plastic and spatial sense of primitives; the white wall and the limpid air has their correspondence with the golden backgrounds. In the operative macchiaiolo method it took place the essentiality of light for the statics, the solemnity of the configuration will be reproduced on small tablets; the simplification will be brought to the extreme consequences using few colours and using the painters table like colour effect. A serious , not convenient and courageous choice , a priori bound to conduct artists to the scarce agreement by the public, was that of the real at every coast. It is the choice to represent the sites with the life that is performed, which is essentially that of the country side or the lower middle class, refusing subjects and embellishments of any kind; they adhere to the exact representation of the Tuscany of their age. Still these features , beneath the different history, the different formation and condition, made it not proposable any approach to the Impressionism , that born when the “Macchia” was at the end of its trail. While they are real all the exchanges that continuously happen with the best European artists, many of them frequented the Caffè of Via Larga. This kind of isolation is a wanted situation, and those were vain the attempts which Diego Martelli performed to conduct the Macchaiolo Movement, which yet performed one’s trail, towards Impressionism; maybe moved from the wish that his misunderstood friends set aside a part of roughness and take in account more captivating subjects with the aim to lead them to the success. Martelli, as an honest and altruist person, also helping them for what it is possible, was worry for the indigence in which a lot of them thy lived . In facts the well-off people and middle culture persons that can buy pictures , certainly preferred the nice scenes or the life o Paris scenes, more than the foreshortening of countryside with cows and farmers. The conscious and admirable choice to keep faith to their thinking, it will result very expensive. In facts their works , innovative and painted with the features above mentioned, are not appreciated by the critic , and nor by the public. This situation went on to date and only from few time the situation is in evolution and upsetting. The names of some of these protagonists are becoming famous; in facts the movement begin to be introduced in some textbooks of History of Art, translated abroad and some work begin to appear in international auction sales: one work by Signorini reached the value of 9 milliards of Liras. From any time it happens that the more innovative artists are understood only after many years, that is not what happens to the traditional artist who ran universally accepted trails. This happens because few persons put the question to themselves that the true art is not that which repeats the usual and old models; it is not certain that the artistic value is related to the agreeableness; it is at the opposite, important that the opera contains ingeniousness, inventiveness, originality, interpretation strength , charge of emotion , poetry and humanity. Those are characteristics not easy to find in a world generally frivolous, superficial , looking only to the outer features, who loves things easy and immediate to obtain, without too much problems. The Macchiaioli acted as revolutionaries against stream, they must create a break with the Past, they have the need to use also exaggerated ways to clear their position. Also for the Macchiaioli of the early period of their revolution , which was on from the end of the Fifties and the beginning of the Sixties, they lead to the extreme point with violent contests; later , during the Sixties , the decade of maturation, they pass to a more moderate behaviour. This maturation happens in an enthusiastic way with the aspect of the matching and the discussion of the results they were reaching. This fervid activity would lead to excellent results with the top moments diffused along all the decade which will characterize the different periods: that one of Piacentina, that one of the staying of Fattori in Leghorn, that one of Castiglioncello. With the end of the Sixties and during the following decade, the Macchia will have ended his trail and will finish; every one will follow one’s way , who elaborating with his proper personality what was together was discovered, who opening to other experiences. By the way , a real “revolutionary” cannot contradict oneself and remain all the life long repeating what he yet made and it is do date overtaken. So let us shortly pass in view some essential events regarding the protagonists. Giovanni Fattori started to use the Macchia technique in 1859 when yet Signorini, Banti, Sernesi performed their experiments from a long period. At that age he is painting in traditional way “Maria Stuarda at the field of Crookstone”, when he paint the French soldiers at the Cascine Park in a very concise way , using the new system. While others work in group , Fattori search and fin by himself some solutions. Charmed by the soldiers and their encampment . start to draw them fast on tablets: the light synthetizes the shapes in defined zones, the volumes are limited in colour inlays; tune beside tune in spaces of light and dark; the whitening of encampments beaks the green of the field , the shadows sharply stand out: all according to an essential synthesis expressed with easiness and clarity , succeeding in transmitting participation and emotion. Without any rhetoric , he reproduce the reality quite plain , just near to roughness. Then he started to work to the Magenta Battle, yielding variations; in facts they appear transparencies where before he executed inert darkness, the “impasto” begin to be tonal, the landscape has yet a natural profundity without the help of the mountains scenography; the smokes are realized with a joke of shading. We will find confirm of the innovation from the subsequent Battle of Montebello , on. Fattori himself will affirm, regarding the tablets with the French soldiers : “ they came late to save the Tuscany which saved by herself, they came in time to save me from the English Queens”. The soldiers were represented as common persons among the people , at the same way of enemy; there is not abuse, or celebration, or emphasis , or illustration ; but only a situation of fatigue, courage and death. Fattori will be ever grateful to Costa for having open his eyes in occasion of a visit in the Autumn of the year ’59. While he is painting a Medicean subject picture and he has on an other easel a reduced portrait of Maria Stuarda, Costa is attracted by the tablets reproducing the French soldiers and has enthusiastic expressions which encourage strongly the artist to went on that way. He succeeded in finding ever new lymph investigating , studying and keeping alive the dialogue with the nature. He himself wrote “The Art was over me..” and in facts he has the luck to have some lightening , some intuitions that left us surprised. While Lega, a learned painter, sensible reached the last step of the representation and he has a foot in Astractism , in the Gabbro period, in a parallel way , Fattori in Florence reaches in autonomous way some similar results previewing the end of verism. So as he will find some appropriate solutions , following only his instinct, he will dedicate him self to the acqueforti , where he will remain unsurpassed. Silvestro Lega after being a firm follower of the Purist School of Pollastrini and Mussini, about the years ’59 and ’60, after his frequentation of the revolutionaries of the Michelangiolo Caffè , started, between the later of the group, to converte oneself to the new way and perform the early works of the macchia with wide strength , moving steps forward in the new technique which will alternate to personal new visitations of the purism. As an artist with great personality, he will follow his way, which will lead him to pass through several phases : from the serene period of Piacentina, with his famous masterpieces “La visita”,”Il Canto dello Stornello” “Il Pergolato”” passing over the period of Bellariva , till the other definitive modern period of Gabbro, in which he rendered the form like astract. Because of his personality and his modernity, he will be the less lucky of his group: he will die in the more dreary misery. Telemaco Signorini, after having attended the Gymnasium Lyceum , joined for a short period the Free School of Nude at the Florence Academy. He started in 1854 with Borrani to paint in the countryside to meet than at the Caffè dell’Onore, where they joined Cabianca, then Sernesi and Abbati. In the year ’55 the group transferred in the “operative site” of the Michelangiolo Caffè. Clever, extroverted, volitive, always at the centre of polemics , he stimulated everyone to the renewal. He will leave, keep contacts with all the European culture , he will soon dedicate to realistic and social problems. He will be the theorist, with Cecioni and Martelli, the editor and supporter of the group. In ’59 he joined the Army in Artillery ; at his return he will travel to Liguria together Banti and with Cabianca and Banti went to Paris, where he see the works and he directly acknowledge several exponents of the French art. In August he travelled with Diego Martelli, Abbati and Tedesco to visit the Castiglioncello estate that his friend Diego inherited from his father. In ‘ 62 participated with Lega, Borrani and Sernesi, to the School known as Piagentina School, in the Florence neighbour. He went back to Paris in ’68 and ’70 guest of De Nittis, with whom he will travel to London. In ’71-72 he is in Rome and between the ’73 and ’81 he passed several periods at Paris, in Switzerland, in England and in Scotland. In ’92 he was appointed teacher of the Superior Magistery Institute in Florence. From the ’96 he sojourned for a long period at the Cinque Terre. The Neapolitan Giuseppe Abati , always first line volunteer between the Garibaldi Soldiers, he is the more meditative of the group; he develops his painting with extreme rigour performing studies inside the Florence Churches. He became friend of Diego Martelli who hosted him in the Castiglioncello estate, in a house at Castelnuovo della Misericaordia. On the 12th of December 1867 he will be bitten by his dog in occasion of the Luciana Fair to which he participated with Martelli, and after he died at the age of 31 for Hydrophobia . Cristiano Banti from Santa Croce, attended between the years ’42 and ’50 the Siena Academy, then he transferred to Florence , about in the year ’55 where hetook contact with the artists of the Michelangiolo Caffè, making friendship especially with Signorini , Cabianca and Cecioni. He became a Macchiaiolo of the early period , then he departed towards Breton and pre raffaellite tendencies , remaining a friend and mecenate of the group, for his excellent economic condition. Giovanni Boldini from Ferrara started to paint with his father , modest artist reproducing works of the past. In ’62 he arrived in Florence and joined to that Academy, being in the same school of Pollastrini and Ussi with Sorbi and Vinea. He began to frequent the Caffè Michelangiolo, where he find lymph for his art; he became friend of Michele Gordigiani, Signorini and Banti who guested him in his villas. Here he found the environment that is fit for him. In ’67 visits Paris and there he definitely return in 1871. After some years he left the macchiaioli line to achieve a virtuosity by a fast brushing. It was correctly written “Genial in Florence, virtuous in Paris”. Odoardo Borrani from Pisa inherited the passion for painting from his father and very young managed recoveries in the Churches of Florence, where his family transferred. In ’51 joined the Academy and for a certain period followed the lessons of Pollastrini, till when , in ’53, after the acknowledge of Signorini, began to paint with him at the open air, followed later by Cabianca. In ’55 the three friends begin to frequent the Caffè Michelangiolo where they found all the other artists. In ’59 , together with the others , like Signorini, Cecioni and Martelli, joined the Army as volunteer in Artillery. At the end of the war , in 1861 went to paint to Montelupo with Signorini, Banti and Pointeau. Later, in June, with Sernesi, started for a journey passing Lucca, Pistoia, Abetone and spent two months of study in San Marcello Pistoiese. The places reached , with the respective dates, are testified on some pages of notebooks kept in my collection. The pictures origin by the preparatory studies will be present at the National Exposition in Florence. Around the 1862/63 it happened the society with Lega, to which they adhere Signorini, Abbati and Sernesi, when they began to meet at Piagentin, in the Florence neighbour , near the Affrico flow. It is a period in which it start the custom to frequent Castiglioncello during the Summertime, guest pf DiegoMartelli, together Abbati and Sernesi and other which often associated. . In 067 after the depart of Sernesi and the lst year of Abbati, it will start the frequenting of Fattori. In ’76 he tent to open a gallery in Florence with his friend Lega, with the aim to find exposition for their respective works, but the enterprise failed and both remained to conduct a very hard life, full of art and misery. He received some support only by the teaching in a private school and later, at the Academy, without succeeding anyway in conducting a decorous life. Also for this , his work lost vigour and the indigence forced him to dedicate to the illustration and to the souvenirs for tourists. He died in Florence in a popular house. Vincenzo Cabianca from Verona, at the beginning of the Fourties, joined the Academy of his town and followed the teaching of Caliari. In ’45 passed to the Venice Academy. In ’48 succeeded in escape the Austrian military call sheltering in Romagna, then at Bologna, where in ’49 he participated to the town defence and was put in jail . At the end of August he was back to Verona where he remained till the ‘53 when , after a short staying in Milan, he got to Florence, where immediately he acknowledged Signorini and Borrani an became friend of them. Form the ’55 he is one of the frequenters of the Michelangiolo Caffè and after the debates and the meetings that followed, between the ’58 and ‘59 he was converted to the “Macchia” becoming the most declared and violent supporter. He became a strictly friend of Banti and together performed experiments in Montemurlo an Piantavigne, then with the add of Signorini, in the ’60 at La Spezia. In ’61 the three went in Paris where he was specially attracted by Decamps, yet admired in Florence in the Demidoff collection. In ’63 he transferred to Parma and only in ’68 he is back only for few months, but he will not lose at all the contacts with his friends of the Michelangiolo Caffè. He will transfer than definitely to Rome, but in ’73 he is probably guest of Diego Martelli at Castiglioncello, place he will go on frequenting in summertime from the 1882 to the 1890. Adraino Cecioni in 1859 joined the Florence Academy where he knew Signorini who finds again when he offers as volunteer in Artillery. Returned to Florence , he continued his study in Academy, especially dedicating oneself to sculpture; his friend Signorini introduced him in the Caffè Michelangiolo where he actively joined the meetings. One of the most learned of the movement, he will become one of the most critic. In ’63 he won the contest for a College which needs the live in Rome and Naples. Here he knew De Gregorio, Rossano and De Nittis and with them he founded the School of Resina where he tried to integrate the “Macchia” with the Neapolitan Naturalism. In ’70 , called by De Nittis he is in Paris where he obtained a remarkable success; but early they arose misunderstandings due to the divergences about art because he doesn’t love French art; then he come back to homeland to a life of poverty. When it is too late , in 1884 he obtained a desk of drawn at the Florence Magistero and soon he died during a feast at home of his pupil Giorgio Kienerk. Nino Costa from Rome, attended at the College of Montefiascone the Gymnasium and at Rome the Lyceum starting to interest to drawn under the guide of Durandini. In ‘45 after the college he attended the laboratory of Camuccini, hosted by the family which doesn’t agree the tendency of the young student towards the artistic career. He joined the Academy ; in ’48 joined the Roman Legion and fought at Treviso and Vicenza. He returned to Rome and continued the painting school but he stopped them to fight in defence of the town; with the defeat he must search for refuge to Anzio, Cervara, Tivoli, Ariccia. He started to paint at the open air and he knew Bocklin , David, Leighton and others, achieving noticeable experience. In ’59 he joined the Aosta Light Cavalrymen ; with the Villafranca Armistice , at his return , he passes at Florence and enter the group of the Michelangiolo Caffè. , also if he didn’t approve at all the doctrine; he kept at the borders , influenced by the romanticism transmitted by his care friend Corot. After several journeys , he will spend his last years of his life in Marina di Pisa. Vito D’ Ancona from his native town, Pesaro, rransferred to Florencce to attend the Academy following the Bezzuoli course. In 1851 participated to the Florentine Promotions; he becomes one of the most assiduous frequenter of the Caffè Michelangiolo where he became strictly friend of De Tivoli, Banti, Signorini. To this last he transmitted the passion for the literature and stimulate him to don’t take him as example “who took the first milk in Academy”. In ’56 together Signorini he went to Bologna, Modena, Mantova and Venice where they knew and became friends of Abbati , in that period pupil in that Academy, and more Leighton and Gamba. Attracted by the works of the ancient showed in the town , they willingly started to study; D’Ancona is particularly attracted by Palma il Vecchio. His romantic formation left again its trace which will accompany him till the “macchia” , technique he will practice in the few works he executed in that period. In ’67 he went to Paris, where for 7 years frequented the French artists and the Italian artists that lived there: Boldini, De Nittis, De Tivoli. In ’68 he got hill and in ’73 Signorini found him in bad health but still sensible to the art news . In ’75 he return back to Florence , but in the following year the illness forced him to stop any activity. Giuseppe De Nittis from Puglia after having achieved the first rudiments with Calò , joined , also if hosted by the family , the Institute of Fine Arts o Naples where he attended the course of mancinelli and Smargiassi. He was expelled for disciplinary reasons and with De Gregorio and Rossano , founded the School of Portici. In ’64 two of his paintings exposed at the Promotrice , attracted the attention of Cecioni who in that period was attending the Pensionato at the Naple Academy. Cecioni with the group of De Nittis founded the School of Resina. In ’67 he went to Florence where he exposed at the Promotrice, arising the Macchiaioli attention who agreed him in their group. He went then to Paris where he knew Gerome and Moissonier. After an interval in which he is back to Puglia, at the end of the ’72 he established definitely in Paris where with a lot of ability wiil document the smarty life in that town. He will perform journeys to London where he will achieve the same successes he obtains in France ; he went rarely back to Italy. Serafino De Tivoli from Leghorn had the merit to begin very early to paint from the true scene at the Staggia School and, after his journey to France, to bring at the Michelangiolo Caffè a noticeable impulse to the starting of the Macchia Movement ,also if he was not a real and proper Macchiaiolo he was ever been. In 1864 he return back to France and approached that painting. In ’90 he will return to Florence in poverty and will die, forsaken by all. Antonio Puccinelli. His town of origin, Castelfranco di Sotto , allowed him a yearly sum to attend the courses by Bezzuoli at the Florence Academy. From the ‘49 to the ’52 he is in Rome where he painted “The Muro Torto Promenade” which anticipates the Macchiaioli taste. In ’53 he returned to Florence and between pictures of historical subject, he confirmed his taste only in few tablets to approach later to a style like Ingres . He will go on frequent Florence also when he will be appointed teacher of the Bologna Academy. Raffaello Sernesi in ’56 joined the Academy following the courses of Ciseri till the ’59, year in which he joined as volunteer. Back to his town , he painted works according with his formation of purist. At the same time he painted from life with De Tivoli and Signorini being converted to the “macchia”, attracted by the works of Singorini and D’ Ancona. With Borrani in the month of June of ’61 he went to San Marcello Pistoiese; he showed his works from life at the Promotrice. In ’62 together to Lega, Abbati and Borrani painted in Piagentina. In ’64 began to frequent Castiglioncello guest of Martelli. In ’66 joined as volunteer with Garibaldi Troop ; at Bolzano he was wounded and prisoner of the Austrians he died for the wound consequences. Federico Zandomeneghi was born from a Venice noble family of artists. In ’56 joined the Venice Academy and in ’58, to escape the call of the Austrian Army, he got far inscribing to the Pavia University. In ’60 took part to the Mille Enterprise and at his return established in Florence; in ’62 he went back to Venice where he was jailed for desertion , but he succeeded in escaping and he went back again to Florence. Here he took contacts and early entered the Macchiaioli group. He became a friend particularly of Cabianca and mostly of Martelli who will host him in Castiglioncello. The works executed in this place will show the macchia influence. In ’66 he returned back to Venice keeping strictly contacts with the Florentine group. In ’74 he is back again in Florence and from here it left to Paris, where for several years had a precarious existence and he will maintain working as figurinist for glamour magazines . In ’78 he was reached by Diego Martelli who introduced him in the group of Impressionists; also if he didn’t succeed in familiarize because his bashful and peevish character , he will participate to several of their exhibitions approaching their conceptions. THE PUPILS After the teaching of Fattori and Lega particularly, it grew a myriad of artists who conventionally were called post macchiaioli. The charm of the two masters lighted up the spirits and traced a deep furrow infusing lymph in many young students. Many of them were just native of Leghorn; it is dutiful to remind that also Lega , from 1886 on, frequented the Leghor neighbour establishing in Gabbro. The influence of Fattori, it particularly went on tiday; in facts am enormous multitude of clever landscape painters are still in activity in Leghorn, many of them engaged themselves in vanguard art , reaching surprising results., also if they were ignored by the official critic and they wait for “justice”. It does not exist other town which gave the birth to a lot of so many and clever artists. It is just it the stream I followed and collected with particular attention till the modern ages. To have a better idea on the greatness of Fattori, on his thundering intuitions and on his fundamental teachings , I will refer an example which clear the importance of his lessons. In facts it is fundamental and determinant the lesson that the young Modigliani received just in Leghorn by Fattori in occasion of one of the visits of the old Master to his pupil Micheli . He was performing a lesson to a group of young painters , between them there was also Modigliani, friendly called Dedo by the other pupils. Micheli showed to Fattori the works which his pupils executed in the morning at Banditella , in Leghorn neighbour . As it was showed the picture by Modigliani , Fattori had words of praise: he found the tones are right, that is right the place of Banditella in a foggy morning. Micheli claimed the fact that the young pupil didn’t correctly execute what he see: he changed every element; he cancelled all the vegetation , he cancelled the brightness of the sunny day… Fattori approved the work and observed that the art is right that: it is invention, geniality, personality expression and not to copy from life and answering to Micheli: “it is an evidence that the boy doesn’t see the light, he interprets the landscape with a sensitivity different from yours”. Dedo, encouraged by the Fattori praise, showed him a portrait which he drawn to a child which was similar to a photo. Fattori didn’t comment, stayed in silence and pass to examine the other pupils works. Modigliani remained interdicted , he got red , then he got pale, the heart was fast beating and he went away being worry . At night, knowing to find the Master at Micheli house for dinner, the young artist returned and entering the room as catapulted and red in his face, at once he asked the ancient Master why he didn’t tell any comment on the portrait. Fattori offered to sea to the pupil , lighted up the cigar in the general silence: they were waiting for the sentence… Then he began to speak and explain that the portrait is too correct, too impersonal ; it is too scholastic also if well painted. “You didn’t want to risk ; think of it. Make a deep examination, I am sure that you will think I am in right . I prefer one hundred times your discussable landscape and in facts also your teacher doesn’t accept it. But there you showed yourself , you took your risks….” As the pupil went away, Fattori commented: “That boy has inside him some thing of new. The our season, mine season more than your, is near to end, dear Micheli. However it is ending the season of the paint from life. ..That boy is very different from the other pupils. .. About Modigliani we will ear soon…And more, you will ear of him because I am very ear to the end..” (from evidences of the presents referred by Aldo Santini). To understand the admiration that the young Modigliani had for the ancient Master, it is sufficient to observe the photograph shot in Micheli House where Dedo appears behind Fattori which is in first line; on the face of the young pupil we can read all the emotion and happiness to touché the Master arm. An other episode underlines the precocity and sensitivity of Modigliani it is related to one of the last drawn by Lega showed in this exhibition, executed at the Bagni Pancaldi in the August of 1895. In this occasion the Florentines painters raised money and Micheli took the charge to give the sum to the very poor Silvestro Lega who went to the Pancaldi Baths in the aim to sell some of his works. Lega accepted this charity act saying “It is the first time that I receive charity and I hope it will be the last”. In facts on the 21st of September he will die for a tumour of the stomach. The Modigliani’s mother found Dedo , that at this age he was 11 years old , while behind a bathing-hut he cries for commotion after having assisted to a unpleasant scene: a big artist with the young that yet estimates him, he is ending his life in such estate…. Carlo Pepi pepicarlo@virgilio.it   Editorial archives Associazione Culturale La Rondine - P.I. 90030400502 Piazza della Chiesa, 7 - 56040 S. 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