Guiseppe Magni
1869 - 1956
Giuseppe Magni was born in Pistoia, Italy in April 1869. Little is known of his early life but he studied painting under Professor Ciseri in Florence at the Academia di Belle Arti.Magni's main interest was in painting genre subjects which were in great demand in Italy and throughout Europe in the latter part of the 19th century. The theme of the peasant as being of picturesque charm was highly saleable and it reinforced the idyllic view of the countryside that the newly rich merchants, forced to spend their working life in urban surroundings in cities such as Florence and Naples, dearly wanted to buy.
Magni, along with his contemporaries Giovanni Torriglia (1858-1937) and Eugenio Zampighi (1859-1944), painted peasant scenes modelled on real life. He used a naturalistic technique to create a warm and sympathetic view of the wholesomeness of peasant family life. His palette was rich in colour and his figures were very well drawn. He often incorporated children into his subject matter as this was also a highly popular theme.
Magni sold many paintings during his career which was mostly spent in Florence. In 1900 he took part in the Alinori painting competition there with a work entitled 'Ave Maria'.
The artist died in Florence in 1956.