Giacomo Rossetti facts for kids
Giacomo Rossetti (born in Marone in 1807, died in Brescia in 1882) was a talented Italian artist. He was both a painter and a photographer. He studied art at the Carrara Academy in Bergamo. Rossetti became well-known after painting a famous picture of Garibaldi. Later, he became very passionate about photography. He spent the rest of his life developing his skills in this new art form.
Giacomo Rossetti: A Photography Pioneer
Giacomo Rossetti opened his first photography studio in Brescia in 1851. It was on Corso Magenta Street. He started this studio with another artist, Jose Alegri.
Rossetti showed his first photo portraits at the Palazzo Bargnani. People were very impressed by how good they looked. They also admired their large size. Later, he opened his own "Photo Studio" at Corso Magenta No. 638.
He worked with an engineer named Valery Louis. Together, they took many photos of buildings. Rossetti created special photo albums of the Church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. He also photographed the Palazzo della Loggia.
In 1862, Rossetti held an exhibition at the Athenaeum of Brescia. His photos of city monuments were quickly loved. These photos had a special sepia tone. To help art students, he took twenty-five photos of different parts of the Loggia. He also photographed the Monte di Pieta Vecchio. These photos were put on cardboard in different sizes. They were used in drawing classes instead of plaster models.
Rossetti became an honorary member of the Athenaeum of Brescia in 1878. He gave two of his photo albums to the Athenaeum as a gift:
- Illustrazione the Palazzo Municipale di Brescia detto the Loggia, with 48 photo plates.
- All'Ateneo Dono di due grandi albums Photographers, showing the Municipal Palace and S. Maria dei Miracoli.
At the Vienna exhibition in 1873, Rossetti showed many architectural photos. One photo was huge, measuring 3 by 2.5 meters. It was called "Chiesa dei Miracoli facciata Brescia" (Facade of the Church of Miracles in Brescia). Its size really impressed people. Rossetti won a medal of merit at this exhibition. This large picture is now kept at the Musei Civici di Arte e Storia di Brescia. Even Emperor Francis Joseph admired his work.
Exhibitions and Awards
Giacomo Rossetti successfully showed his work in many exhibitions:
- Philadelphia Exhibition (1876)
- Paris Exposition (1878)
- The Melbourne Exhibition (1880), where he won a gold medal.
- Exposure Photographic Art in Milan (1881)
- Vienna exhibition (1873)
- Exhibition "Vu d'Italie 1841-1941, La Photographie dans les collections du italienne Alinari Museum" in Paris (2005)
Where to Find His Work
You can find Giacomo Rossetti's photographs in several important places:
- Canadian Centre for Architecture:
- Giacomo Rossetti, photographs (some are available online).
- They also have his album called “Saint Mary of Miracles and the municipal palace”.
- Alinari Museum:
- The facade of Monte Vecchio.
- Twin portal with sculptured decorations of the Church of S. Maria del Carmine.
- Bibliothèque nationale de France:
- Palais municipal de Brescia.
- Loggia de l'église Sainte-Marie-des-Miracles.
