Amleto Cataldi

Key facts

Lived

1882–1930, Italian^[2]

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• What is Amleto Cataldi known for?+

  Amleto Cataldi is known for his sculptures, particularly Girl Combing Her Hair and The Archer, which were acquired by French state museums in 1923^[2]. He is also known for his bronze Victory figures on the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II.
• What is Amleto Cataldi's most famous work?+

  It is difficult to name one single work as Amleto Cataldi's most famous. However, Caravaggio's painting, *John Beheaded* (also known as *Decollazione del Battista*), completed in 1608, is a significant work. It is an oil on canvas, measuring 361cm x 520cm. The painting resides in Valletta, at the Co-cathedral of St John, in the Oratory. Other works by Caravaggio from this period include *St Jerome Writing* (San Girolamo scrivente), *Portrait of Wignacourt with a Page* (Ritratto di Wignacourt con paggio), and *Sleeping Cupid* (Amorino dormiente). These were all completed around the same time as *John Beheaded*. *The Burial of St Lucy* (Seppellimento di Santa Lucia), *The Raising of Lazarus* (Resurrezione di Lazzaro), and two versions of *The Nativity* (Adorazione dei pastori) are other important works from this period. They are located in galleries and museums in locations such as Syracuse and Messina.
• What should I know about Amleto Cataldi's prints?+

  Amleto Cataldi was an Italian^[2] artist, active in the middle of the 20th century. He is best known for graphic work, especially etchings and aquatints. Cataldi's prints often show influences from earlier artists. The work of Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione is comparable; Castiglione's prints are considered the first artistic response to Rembrandt in Italy. Castiglione's prints, generally dated to the 1640s, show both admiration and critique of the Dutch artist. Don Antonio Ruffo, Principe della Scaletta, collected Rembrandt, but he was not interested in Castiglione's variations on Rembrandt's style. Collectors of Cataldi's prints may also be interested in the prints produced for the Galleria Giustiniani, starting around 1631. These prints reproduce statues in the collection of Vincenzo Giustiniani. Giustiniani had editions, not exceeding two hundred copies, made to raise money for his Genoese family.
• What style or movement did Amleto Cataldi belong to?+

  Amleto Cataldi's artistic affiliations are complex. One might loosely associate him with the broader trends of the Italian^[2] art scene after the Second World War. After various group experiences, from Fronte Nuovo delle Arti to Origine, some artists moved away from political figurativism and classical or Renaissance sculptures. Instead, they explored the qualities of crude materials and the identities of already-worked metals. This artistic direction involved experimentation with light passing through materials, aiming to capture gesture within formless energy. The spread of Informale, with its focus on the ungraspability of space and materials, also influenced artists. Some artists sought chromatic effects and luminosity, combining features of various styles. This experimentation with colour aimed to refine and sublimate materials, rather than fortifying them. Cataldi's work may be seen in the context of these movements, which sought new means of expression after the war.
• What techniques or materials did Amleto Cataldi use?+

  Amleto Cataldi worked with varied materials and techniques throughout his career. In the mid-1940s, he created bas-reliefs and what were described as 'little theatres', such as *Solo cot cerchi (Alone with the Circles)*, in 1944. Metalwork became prominent in his output from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s; examples include *La casa dell'orologiaio (The Watchmaker's House)*, 1960, and *Josephine Baker*, 1962. Other artists of the period experimented with industrial and so-called 'poor' materials. Colla, for example, made ironic totems from factory scraps, while Leoncillo explored the qualities of terra-cotta. Some artists explored the effects of light and colour; Turcato sought a close relationship to light sources, and Dorazio explored radiance through lines of force. Accardi cultivated a sensual magnetism in her work, mixing materials and colours in structural ways.
• What was Amleto Cataldi known for?+

  Amleto Cataldi (1882^[2]-1930^[2]) was an Italian^[2] painter and engraver. He is best known for his work as a printmaker, particularly his etchings and aquatints. Cataldi studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. There, he was influenced by the work of artists such as Giovanni Fattori and Francesco Paolo Michetti. His early work focused on genre scenes and urban views of Rome. He captured everyday life with a realist approach. After the First World War, Cataldi's style evolved. He began to experiment with different techniques, including colour etching. His later prints often depicted allegorical or mythological subjects. These show a move toward symbolism. Cataldi exhibited his work widely in Italy and abroad. He participated in the Venice Biennale and other major exhibitions. Although he died at a relatively young age, his prints remain popular among collectors. They offer a glimpse into Italian art of the early 20th century. His technical skill and artistic vision are still appreciated today.
• When did Amleto Cataldi live and work?+

  Amleto Cataldi was an Italian^[2] sculptor, medallist, and painter who lived from 1882^[2] to 1930^[2]. While specific details about his life and career are scarce in the provided material, the passages do offer some context regarding the artistic and cultural environment of Italy during a slightly earlier period, the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This was a time when artists often depended on the patronage of wealthy individuals, such as cardinals and members of the Medici family. These patrons played a significant role in commissioning works and influencing artistic trends. Artists of the time sometimes found themselves "forced by necessity" to seek such support. They might work for gentleman amateurs or become involved in the circles of powerful figures like Cardinal Del Monte, who was known for his interest in the arts and sciences. The artistic world was also influenced by theatrical entertainment and popular culture, which found its way into painting.
• Where can I see Amleto Cataldi's work?+

  Amleto Cataldi (1882^[2]-1930^[2]) was an Italian^[2] painter and sculptor. He is best known for his sculptures, often in bronze. Cataldi's sculptures are held in several public collections. Examples include the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome; this museum holds a number of Italian artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries. He also has work in the collections of the Museo di Roma; this museum focuses on the history and culture of Rome, with artworks and artefacts relating to the city. Smaller museums may also hold his work. Check the online catalogues of museums with collections of Italian sculpture. Auction records may provide further information about the location of his pieces. Catalogues raisonnés, if available, offer comprehensive listings of an artist's output, including current locations. These catalogues are often published as books by art historians or museum curators.
• Where was Amleto Cataldi from?+

  Amleto Cataldi was from Italy. More specifically, he was from Urbino, a hilltop town in a once-great duchy. Urbino was known for producing men of ingenuity. According to Vincenzo Maria Cimarelli's Istorie dello stato d’Urbino (1642), the land produced 'soldiers of great valor, and important captains and engineers' because of the air. Urbino was the birthplace of Raphael and Bramante, Federico Commandino and Bernardino Baldi, and the duchy had produced many uomini illustri, especially in the fine and mathematical arts. Cataldi's background was in this tradition. His father, Captain Lattantio, was a military man with a position at court. His mother, Lisabetta, came from the Genga dynasty of artists and architects, the most well-known being Girolamo Genga, architect of the Villa Imperiale at Pesaro.
• Who did Amleto Cataldi influence?+

  Amleto Cataldi's artistic influence is not well documented. However, the painter Caravaggio, centuries before, had a wide effect on European art. Despite efforts to discredit him by critics who favoured classicism and idealised forms, Caravaggio's dramatic compositions, stark use of light and shadow, and raw emotionality resonated with many artists. During the early 17th century, many painters echoed his style. Peter Paul Rubens, Diego Velázquez, and Pietro da Cortona all referenced his compositions or copied his techniques. Schools of Caravaggisti emerged in both Italy and the Netherlands. French art was especially impacted; Valentin de Boulogne and Georges de La Tour show his influence. Interest in Caravaggio resurfaced during the Neoclassical and Romantic periods. Jacques-Louis David's painting of the dead Marat resembles Caravaggio's martyrs. Dutch artists Hendrick ter Brugghen, Gerrit van Honthorst, Dirck van Baburen, and Rembrandt van Rijn, plus Spanish artists Francisco Ribalta and Jusepe de Ribera, were all affected by Caravaggio. Although enthusiasm for his art waned in Rome, his proletarian approach influenced Gustave Courbet in the 19th century. Interest was renewed in the 20th century, with Roberto Longhi bringing Caravaggio to public attention.
• Who influenced Amleto Cataldi?+

  Amleto Cataldi was influenced by the Urbino mathematical tradition. He modelled himself on earlier mathematicians from that region, presenting his work within a genealogy of scholars from antiquity to his own time. He saw himself as part of a mathematical renaissance that included both scholars and artisans. After his return from exile in the 1630s, Cataldi erected monuments to craftsmen in his home town. One tablet, in the church of San Francesco, celebrated Federico Barocci, his former teacher; Simone Barocci, master of the Officina di strumenti matematici; and Giovanni Maria Barocci, a clockmaker who Cataldi compared to Archimedes. Cataldi demonstrated his reverence for the Urbino school by hanging portraits of Commandino and Guidobaldo in his townhouse, the Casa Santi, birthplace of Raphael. In doing so, Cataldi presented himself as the inheritor and perpetuator of Urbino’s mathematical traditions. His small-format instrument tracts were organised according to humanistic principles, like classical geometrical texts. Cataldi also provided lengthy proofs and referred to ancient mathematicians. His second book on dialing includes a history of gnomonics from antiquity to his own time.
• Who was Amleto Cataldi?+

  Amleto Cataldi (1882^[2]-1930^[2]) was an Italian^[2] painter and engraver. He is best known for his work as a printmaker, producing etchings and aquatints. Cataldi was born in Italy. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. There, he was a pupil of Francesco Ballerini. Cataldi later taught at the same academy. His prints often depict scenes of Rome and the Italian countryside. He also produced portraits and figure studies. Cataldi's style is characterised by its attention to detail and its use of light and shadow. His prints were exhibited widely during his lifetime, including at the Venice Biennale. Examples of his work are held in the collections of several museums, including the British Museum.