Carlo Wostry | Belle Époque painter

A painter of historical and genre subjects, Carlo Wostry (1865-1943) was also a sculptor and engraver. He studied in Vienna and also at the Baviere School in Munich, so gaining a varied and comprehensive training as a young man.

His first exhibition was in his hometown of Trieste, Italy and he painted a number of fine portraits there and soon produced a good living from his vocation as an artist.

Greatly influenced by Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931) the great portrait and genre painter from Ferare, Italy.

Giovanni Boldini | Ballerine Spagnole al Moulin Rouge, 1900

No artist captured the glamour, energy and optimism of the Parisian Belle Époque better than the Italian master Giovanni Boldini.

After leaving his native Italy for the French capital in 1871, Boldini enjoyed meteoric success, attracting the support of the city's influential dealer Adolphe Goupil as well as its most esteemed members of high society.

Among those who sat for the celebrated painter were Marchesa Luisa Casati, Consuelo Vanderbilt the Duchess of Marlborough, Count Robert de Montesquieu, Giuseppe Verdi and many other cultural and societal luminaries.

Giovanni Boldini | Ballerine Spagnole al Moulin Rouge, 1905 | Christie's

Gigino Falconi, 1933 | Metaphysical painter

Gigino Falconi was born in Giulianova (Teramo) in 1933.

He began painting at the age of sixteen, and in 1954 he obtained a Liceo Artistico of Pescara.

During the early years of his career, Falconi began teaching and drawing at the middle school in his city, refining his technique by copying a thousand paintings and drawings, bringing himself to an understanding of the secrets of technique and color behind the Great Masters of every century.

Ichiro Tsuruta 鶴田-郎, 1954 | Art Déco painter

Ichiro Tsuruta was born in Hondo-shi (current Amakusa-shi), Kumamoto.

He grew up surrounded by rich nature of Amakusa area.

He has liked to paint since his childhood.

After graduating from high school, he entered Tama Art University, majored in graphic design and tried to become an illustrator.

Angelo Vadalà | Figurative painter / Sculptor

Angelo Vadalà (1940-2024) was born in Messina, Italy.

He started painting five decades ago, when he was only 12.

At the age of 18, Vadalà left Sicily to live and study in Florence, officially to attend university and study architecture.

But after two years of study at the Florence University of Architecture, Vadalà found he was distracted by what the many museums of that beautiful city contained, and not by the stone and wood that housed the art.

From his study of architecture, Vadalà had received a foundation in the art and technique of draftsmanship.

Lionello Balestrieri | Beethoven, 1900

In 1899, Lionello Balestrieri (12 September 1872 - October 24, 1958) painted a canvas depicting Beethoven -Kreutzer Sonata-, which after winning an award at the 1900 Universal Exposition in Paris and in 1901 in Venice, brought him fame.

The painting depicts a dimly lit garret-like apartment with a strand of listeners along the left wall, each in their own mood, while a violinist plays between them and a furnace.

Eugenio Lucas Villaamil | Belle Époque painter

Eugenio Lucas Villaamil (Madrid, 1858-1918) also known as Lucas "the younger", was born to the painter Eugenio Lucas Velázquez and Francisca Villaamil.

Until only a few years ago the information we had about his life was almost as vague as what is known about his work.

After initially training in his father’s studio as a boy, he furthered his studies at the Special School of Painting in Madrid and took part in the National Exhibitions of Fine Arts three times.

Ippolito Caffi | Romantic vedutista

Italian painter Ippolito Caffi (1809-1866) was the most modern and original architectural subjects, seascapes and urban vedute artist of his time, and his paintings are so special in immortalising the soul of the places and peoples he encountered during his many trips.

He was born at Belluno.

His first works were produced at the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice.

By 1830, he had won awards for his vedute at the Academy.