MARIO DE MARIA Bologna, 1852 - 1924 Capri Signed Mario De Maria and dated 1886 lower left Oil on canvas, 33.5X107.5 cm Provenance: Lessona, Ludovico Cartotti collection Milan, private collection Exhibitions: 1842 Centenary Exhibition; 1952 by the Società Promotrice delle Belle Arti, Turin Palazzo al Valentino, 1952 The Italian Landscape. Italian and foreign artists, Società per le Belle Arti ed Esposizione Permanente, Milan, April ; June 1954 Società per le Belle Arti ed Esposizione Permanente (scroll on the back) Mostra di Pitture Italiane dell'Ottocento, Galleria d'Arte della Gazzetta del Popolo, Turin December 1948 ; January 1949, Table no. 56 Exhibition of 19th century Emilian painters, Palazzo Salina Amorini, Bologna, 1955 Known by the pseudonym Marius Pictor, Mario De Maria was born in Bologna and trained at his city's Academy of Fine Arts. After an initial interest in historical and religious painting, he developed a personal style, devoting himself mainly to nocturnal landscapes and Venetian views. After moving to Venice, he found his main source of inspiration in the moonlight and suggestions of the lagoon. Gabriele D'Annunzio called him 'the painter of moons', but De Maria is actually much more: he is the painter of light in all its forms, the pale and mysterious light of night, the warm and vibrant light of sunset, the intense light of midday or the cold and veiled light of dawn. In his canvases, in fact, light almost seems to gush from within, creating atmospheres of extraordinary intensity. It is no coincidence that one critic wrote that De Maria 'dramatised nature', capable as he was of transforming a simple landscape into an emotional experience. He exhibited regularly at the Venice Biennials and at important exhibitions throughout Italy, winning over the public with the poetry and intimacy that characterise his works. The soft, subtle brushstrokes diffuse light in transparent veils, masterfully rendering the reflections of water and architecture. The contrasts between shadows and flashes create depth and fascination, transporting the viewer into a world suspended between reality and dreams, often choosing to eliminate the human figure, letting silence, light and the poetry of places do the talking. Bibliography: G Panzetta, Dizionario degli artisti italiani dell'Ottocento, Turin, 2000 ad vocem A Mazzotta, Mario De Maria. Il pittore della luna, Venice, 1998 ad vocem