Pompeo Borra
Encyclopedia
Pompeo Borra was an Italian painter.
. After fighting as a volunteer in World War I
, he returned to Milan
, where he made his debut at the Famiglia Artistica in 1920.
In 1924 he participated in the Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte in Venice
arousing the critics’ interest with his severe language deriving from the Quattrocento characterised by solid volumes and suspended, unreal atmospheres. His archaic style drew him to the Novecento Italiano and from 1926 on he took part in all the group’s shows. In 1928 he showed works in the major exhibition of Italian art, curated by Franz Roh, the theorist of Magical Realism and German Neue Sachlichkeit.
During the 1930s he renewed his pictorial language by adopting a lighter and more luminous range of colours, without, however, abandoning the solid volumes of his figures. With the paintings of this period his reputation as an artist became firmly established and he won the Principe Umberto Prize in 1934.
Between 1936 and 1939, he made frequent stays in Paris
where he came into contact with the art dealer Léonce Rosenberg, director of the gallery L’Effort Moderne and promoter of Pablo Picasso
and Georges Braque
. At this time his painting was influenced by contemporary researches on abstract art resulting in a limited number of geometric works. This was followed by a vast output in which the artist did not abandon figuration and painted mainly female portraits and landscapes. Different variations on these subjects were frequently produced throughout his mature period, which is distinguished by an intense research on colour, applied in broad flat fields using tones that deliberately clash, and on the simplification of the form within a two-dimensional space. He began teaching art in 1948, first at a secondary school and then at the Brera Academy, where he was appointed director in 1970.
Biography
Pompeo Borra’s studies were varied, first he attended technical schools and then, briefly, the course in decoration at the Scuola degli Artefici at the Brera AcademyBrera Academy
The Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, also known as Brera Academy is a public academic institution located in Milan, Italy. It was founded in 1776 by HIM Maria Theresa of Austria.- Overview :...
. After fighting as a volunteer in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he returned to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, where he made his debut at the Famiglia Artistica in 1920.
In 1924 he participated in the Esposizione Internazionale d’Arte in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
arousing the critics’ interest with his severe language deriving from the Quattrocento characterised by solid volumes and suspended, unreal atmospheres. His archaic style drew him to the Novecento Italiano and from 1926 on he took part in all the group’s shows. In 1928 he showed works in the major exhibition of Italian art, curated by Franz Roh, the theorist of Magical Realism and German Neue Sachlichkeit.
During the 1930s he renewed his pictorial language by adopting a lighter and more luminous range of colours, without, however, abandoning the solid volumes of his figures. With the paintings of this period his reputation as an artist became firmly established and he won the Principe Umberto Prize in 1934.
Between 1936 and 1939, he made frequent stays in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he came into contact with the art dealer Léonce Rosenberg, director of the gallery L’Effort Moderne and promoter of Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and Georges Braque
Georges Braque
Georges Braque[p] was a major 20th century French painter and sculptor who, along with Pablo Picasso, developed the art style known as Cubism.-Early Life:...
. At this time his painting was influenced by contemporary researches on abstract art resulting in a limited number of geometric works. This was followed by a vast output in which the artist did not abandon figuration and painted mainly female portraits and landscapes. Different variations on these subjects were frequently produced throughout his mature period, which is distinguished by an intense research on colour, applied in broad flat fields using tones that deliberately clash, and on the simplification of the form within a two-dimensional space. He began teaching art in 1948, first at a secondary school and then at the Brera Academy, where he was appointed director in 1970.