FRANCESCO SAVERIO ALTAMURA Foggia, 1826 - Naples, 1897 Diogenes, Looking for Man Signed S Altamura and dated 1890 lower right Oil on canvas, 240.5X147.5 cm Provenance: Naples, private collection This painting should be the work presented at the 1861 National Exhibition; 1909 Contemporary Art in Palermo in 1892 (no. 656, p. 24). In the large canvas, Altamura depicts Diogenes of Sinope, who lived in the 4th century BC and was one of the most representative philosophers of the Cynic school. Known for his ascetic lifestyle and provocative ideas, Diogenes embodied the ideal of a life in harmony with nature, rejecting social conventions and material goods. The scene depicted in the painting is one of the most famous: Diogenes, with a lit lantern, wanders the streets of Athens. When asked what he was doing, he replied: 'I seek Man'. With this statement, the philosopher denounced the hypocrisy and corruption of society, claiming that it was difficult to find an authentic, virtuous and honest man. A painter of great expressive force and powerful colourist, Francesco Saverio Altamura was the leader of verista painting in Naples, together with Domenico Morelli. Considered the most illustrious painter from Foggia of all time, he is counted among the great Apulian artists of the 19th century, together with Giuseppe De Nittis and Gioacchino Toma. He was also one of the protagonists of the cultural development of 19th century Italy. He initially studied at the Scolopi Fathers but soon moved with his family to Campania. Although he seemed destined for a medical career, he followed his artistic inclination and enrolled at the Institute of Fine Arts in Naples. In those years, many young people from Foggia travelled to Naples to study, especially in the arts. Here, Altamura met Domenico Morelli, who encouraged him to paint, and he also began to associate with Michele De Napoli. Around 1850, he came into contact with the artistic circle of the Caffè Michelangelo in Florence, where he met the Greek painter Elena Bucuri, who would later become his wife. In 1855, he travelled with Morelli and Serafino De Tivoli to the Universal Exhibition in Paris. Returning to Florence, he brought with him the new pictorial trends that contributed to the birth of the Macchiaioli current, although he continued to devote himself to historical subjects. Reference bibliography: M Chiarini, Altamura, Francesco Saverio, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, Vol. 2, Rome 1960, ad vocem