Trento Longaretti facts for kids

Trento Longaretti (born September 27, 1916 – died June 7, 2017) was a famous Italian painter. He lived to be over 100 years old! He believed that painting was like a "magic potion" for a long life. He kept painting and showing his art even when he was a centenarian.

Trento studied art at the Brera Academy in the 1930s. There, he learned from many great artists. These included painters like Aldo Carpi and Pompeo Borra, and sculptors like Francesco Messina and Marino Marini.

He was part of an art group called Corrente. This group was started by his friends in the 1930s. They wanted to create new art that was different from the Novecento Italiano movement. That older movement had been influenced by the Italian government at the time.

In 1939, Trento joined the Italian Army. He served until 1945, which sometimes stopped his art work. But he still managed to show his paintings in some exhibitions. One was the Mostra degli artisti in armi (Artists in Arms) show in Rome.

After the war, his art often showed religious themes. He also became very against war and violence. Many of his paintings show mothers who are against violence. He often painted humble people like beggars and travelers. He also explored feelings like loneliness, being left alone, and poverty. Trento wanted his art to be "easy to understand and enjoy."

His oil paintings are often described as rich and thick, like those by Paul Cézanne. His style also reminds some people of the dreamy worlds created by Marc Chagall. His paintings of everyday objects, called still lifes, are seen as "delicate and almost religious."

Trento became a very important artist in Italy. He showed his work at big events like the Venice Biennale and Rome Quadriennale. In 1953, he became the director of the Accademia Carrara art school in Bergamo. He held this important job until he retired in 1978. He had art studios in Bergamo and in Corniglia, a beautiful place in Cinque Terre. He called Cinque Terre one of the most beautiful places in the world.

His Family Life

Trento Longaretti was born on September 27, 1916. He was born in a town called Treviglio, in the Province of Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy. He was the ninth of thirteen children! His parents were Alessandro Longaretti and Maria Teresa Casirati.

His parents named him Trento after an older brother who had died as a baby. He had many siblings, including a sister named Trieste and brothers named Carlo, Giacinto, and Amanzio. He loved remembering Christmas with his family. He especially remembered their Christmas tree made of wooden shoes, called zoccoli.

His family had a vacation home in Valpiana since before he was born. This is a small town near Serina, north of Bergamo. His older brother Giacinto took many photos there in the 1940s. Sadly, Giacinto passed away in 1945.

In 1945, Trento married Elsa Ferrari. They had met before he went to fight in World War II. They had three children: Serena (born 1946), Franco (born 1948), and Maddalena (born 1954).

When Trento was in his late 90s, people said he still had a steady hand for painting. They also said his mind was very sharp. Every Christmas, he would give each of his children a special gift: one of his own paintings.

Learning to Paint

Courtyard of the Brera Academy, where Longaretti studied art in the 1930s

Trento said his first-grade teacher, Maciocchi, understood his special talent for art. She helped him by giving him postcards to copy. From 1930 to 1936, he went to the Liceo Artistico di Brera. This was an art-focused high school in Milan, connected to the Brera Academy.

In 1933, Trento and his friend Gianluigi Uboldi went on a bicycle trip across Italy. They rode from Milan, through Florence and Rome, all the way to Pescara on the east coast. Then they cycled north to Venice before returning to Milan. The next year, 1934, they even cycled all around Sicily.

In 1936, he started studying architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He also joined a fine arts program at Brera Academy. He chose to focus on art at Brera. There, he learned from Aldo Carpi and his assistant Felice Filippini. He graduated in 1939.

He had many talented classmates, including Bruno Cassinari and Ennio Morlotti. He especially liked his professors Carpi, Francesco Messina, Marino Marini, and Pompeo Borra. He said Carpi taught him about life, not just art. Carpi let his students paint freely, without too many corrections.

While studying at Brera, Trento lived in Treviglio. He would take the train home every day after his classes.

In 1936, Trento first showed his art in exhibitions. These were in cities like Bergamo, Genoa, and Milan. Around this time, many artists, including some of his classmates, started the Corrente movement. They were against the older art style called Novecento Italiano. They wanted to explore new ideas like Cubism.

Trento didn't join all their late-night talks in Milan cafes. He went home to Treviglio after school. But he spent most of his days with this group. They worked on paintings inspired by Pablo Picasso. These artists also didn't like the traditional "academic" art style. The Corrente movement wanted to be very different from the art supported by the government at the time.

Trento became very good friends with Ennio Morlotti, who was also from Bergamo. Their friendship lasted until Morlotti passed away in 1999. They often talked about the Adda River that flowed near their hometowns.

In 1939, the Corrente group published an important message. They said they were against the National Fascist Party led by Benito Mussolini. They wanted artists to show "all parts of the real world we live in." Trento fully supported this idea by painting themes of humility and everyday life.

His Artistic Career

After graduating from Brera in 1939, Trento was called to serve in the Italian military during World War II. He was sent to places like Slovenia, Sicily, and Albania. Even during his service, he kept painting. He drew "dramatic pictures" of things he saw, like Albanian villages destroyed by Italian troops.

When he was not on duty, he would take part in art shows. In 1942, he showed his work at the Venice Biennale. He also had art in the "Artists in Arms" exhibit in Rome. There, he showed watercolors and pen drawings about war. After the war, he also started working with frescoes (wall paintings), glass art, and mosaics.

His first solo art show was in 1943 in Bergamo. After the war, in 1945, he started teaching and creating sacred art. He showed his work at the Venice Biennale again in 1948, 1950, 1956, and 2011. He was also invited to show his art at the Rome Quadriennale in 1952.

In 1945, when he got married, his paintings weren't selling much. But his art diploma helped him get a job. In 1953, he won a national competition. He became the director and head of painting at the Accademia Carrara in Bergamo. He led the school until 1978.

He lived and worked in both Bergamo and Cinque Terre. He also owned a home in Framura. He had a beautiful studio in the old part of Bergamo, full of paintings and books. He also had three studios in Corniglia, a small town in Cinque Terre. He said Cinque Terre was one of the most beautiful places in the world. He loved its terraces, vineyards, and mountains. He called it his "adopted home." He would go there to paint when he needed peace and quiet. In 2002, he made two stained glass windows for the Church of San Pietro in Corniglia.

At his first studio in Corniglia, he even took care of the land and picked fruit from the trees. He enjoyed walking through the countryside between his studios.

In 1964, he and other artists met Pope Paul VI at the Sistine Chapel. In 2009, he was one of 500 artists invited to meet Pope Benedict XVI. The Pope wanted to celebrate 10 years since Pope John Paul II wrote a letter to artists. He also wanted to make the connection between the Catholic Church and artists stronger.

Trento believed that young artists should never give up. He said, "if there is talent, it will surely emerge." But he also thought that artists are born with their gift. For him, painting was like a "magic potion" for a long life. He said he couldn't live without it.

His Unique Painting Style

A mosaic of Saint Veronica wiping the face of Jesus, the sixth Station of the Cross, a work by Longaretti installed on the grounds of the Church of San Salvatore in Monasterolo del Castello

Trento Longaretti wanted his art to be "easy to understand and enjoy" for everyone. He felt he was "alone in the world of Italian art" because his style was so unique. He was part of the Corrente movement and the "Figurativismo Italiano" (Italian figurative art) movement. People called him an "old master" of figurative art.

Some art critics said his works blended the styles of Corrente and expressionism. They saw hints of artists like Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Pablo Picasso, and Chaïm Soutine. Trento agreed his paintings might have expressionist touches. But he said they didn't have the sad or tragic feeling often found in German expressionist art.

He mainly created oil paintings and watercolours. His brushstrokes were often thick and rich, like those of Paul Cézanne. Some experts also saw similarities between his "pictorial culture" and the works of Egon Schiele and even Vincent van Gogh. In one of his exhibitions, called "Humana Pictura," his art looked like "painted mosaics."

A common theme in his art was beggars and travelers. He used them to show how fragile humans can be. He also painted many mothers who were against violence. These figures sometimes looked like the Madonna. He developed his strong anti-war feelings during his time in the military. He said his art was "a way to speak out and ask people to stop" terrible acts of violence.

By the 1970s, the mothers in his paintings looked braver. By the 1980s, they seemed softer. Trento said mothers are the same everywhere. They suffer from war, and when the destruction is over, they are the ones who must rebuild.

Other themes in his art included loneliness, being left alone, being sent away from home, long journeys, and poverty. He often painted wanderers, runaways, actors, mimes, and musicians. He called the people in his art "figurines." They were hopeful, maybe a bit hurt or resigned, but never without hope.

The people in his paintings often showed the "freedom of expression" that the Corrente movement believed in. They seemed frozen in motion. They showed the "quiet hard work and suffering of life" as they searched for a better future. These characters were often placed in magical or fantasy settings. This was similar to the style of Marc Chagall, a comparison Trento agreed with. His watercolor portraits were almost always of young people.

Trento also painted many still lifes. These paintings of everyday objects were described as "delicate and almost religious." They often showed feelings of quietness and being alone.

Where His Art Was Shown

Trento Longaretti's art has been shown all over the world. You could see it in London, New York City, Paris, Buenos Aires, Toronto, Ottawa, Amsterdam, Monaco, and Stockholm. His exhibitions often focused on themes like "being alone, long journeys, being sent away, poverty in cities, and dignity."

To celebrate his 90th birthday, his hometown of Treviglio held an exhibition of his works. It was shown in October 2006. A similar exhibition was also held in Bergamo that same month.

Important Exhibitions

• 1943, Galleria La Rotonda, Bergamo: This was his very first solo exhibition.
• 1999, Casa del Mantegna, Mantova: A house built by the famous artist Andrea Mantegna.
• 1999, Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Humana Pictura: A traveling exhibition that showed his art in different places.
• 2009, New York City: An exhibition supported by the Italian Cultural Institute.

His Famous Artworks

In 1944, Longaretti painted San Francesco libera le colombe ("Saint Francis liberates the doves"). He painted it in a chapel in the Church of San Bernardino in Caravaggio. He gave this painting to the city, and it was displayed in the church. In 1999, the painting and seven others were stolen from the church. Years later, in 2008, an antique dealer asked Longaretti to check the painting's value. Longaretti recognized his own stolen work and told the police. The art was found, and the thief was caught!

Among his religious art is the Stations of the Cross at the Church of San Salvatore in Monasterolo del Castello. This is a series of 14 mosaics. Longaretti designed them in 1971. They replaced older artworks that had been damaged. The mosaics were restored in 2011.

He also created a beautiful stained glass window for the hospital in his hometown.

Where to Find His Art

Galleries that have his art include the Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea and Pinacoteca Carrara in Bergamo. Also, the Galleria d'Arte Moderna and Museo della Permanente in Milan, and the Vatican Museums in Vatican City.

His religious art can be found in churches, museums, and galleries all over Italy and the world. His works are kept or shown at the Duomo di Milano, Duomo di Novara, the Vatican Museums, and the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in Milan.

He also gave some of his works to the Accademia Carrara. He donated to the Fondazione Credito Bergamasco, a foundation run by a bank. This foundation has held eight exhibitions just for his art.

Awards and Honors

In 1939, Trento Longaretti received two important awards at the Brera Academy. He won the Mylius Award for his painting. He also won the Stanga Award for his engraving work.

In 2013, he received the "Madonna delle lacrime" award. This award is given each year by the city of Treviglio. It honors people connected to the city who have done great things in volunteering, culture, or sports.

His Lasting Impact

Trento Longaretti created many artworks showing mothers and children. He said these works showed "one of the highest levels of love." One of these paintings is on the cover of a book called "Un dottore per amico" ("A doctor for a friend"). This book helps doctors talk with families of sick children. It was given to all doctors, hospitals, and schools in the region.

Longaretti also made a mosaic to honor his brother Carlo. Carlo was the president of a local group called Gruppo Alpini. The mosaic was placed in the Chiesetta della Madonna degli Alpini in Parco del Roccolo by 1981.

In 2006, Trento was one of 56 artists from Bergamo who donated art for a special exhibition. This event raised money to build water wells in villages in Malawi. It also helped people learn about desertification, which is when land becomes like a desert.

In 2007, the first graduates from the University of Bergamo's campus in Treviglio received a special gift. Along with their diploma, they got a numbered print of one of Longaretti's artworks.

In 2009, the community of Valpiana held a celebration for the Longaretti family. The family had been connected to the community since 1909 and still owned their original vacation home there. The family gave each family in the community a special copper print by Trento Longaretti.

In 2013, Trento said that even though he lived in Bergamo, he was still "trevigliese" (from Treviglio). He said that was where his roots, family, and culture grew. He turned 100 years old in September 2016 and passed away on June 7, 2017.

Images for kids

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  A mosaic of Saint Veronica wiping the face of Jesus, the sixth Station of the Cross, a work by Longaretti installed on the grounds of the Church of San Salvatore in Monasterolo del Castello