Cesarino Monti (1916-1979) - Bambini chierichetti in chiesa

Cesarino Monti, grandson of the Lombard painter Cesare Monti, was born in Milan on September 15, 1916. After completing his studies in Brescia, he returned to Milan in 1935. He worked as an assistant set designer at La Scala Theatre, under the guidance of renowned scenographers, while simultaneously attending the drawing and painting school of the Accademia Belle Arti of Milan, where his teachers included Carlo Carrà and Aldo Carpi.

His artistic statements began after the war, and he was entrusted with several scripts for performances, among which we mention: 'Bolero' by Ravel (Teatro alla Scala in Milan); 'Tanvalse' by O. Busoni (Teatro alla Scala in Milan) during the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino; 'Glauco - The Man with the Flower in His Mouth' by Pirandello; 'For 25 Meters of Mud' by Irvin Show, and others.

Bride Carla Colla, descended from a famous family of puppeteers, but the marriage fails shortly after. In the late 1930s, during the period of the commission for the Niguarda stained glass window, she works as a set designer at La Scala theater and spends some time in Paris, where she meets Maurice Utrillo.

The artist, during the Second World War, fought as an infantry soldier on the Greek-Albanian front, and during the few hours of rest and with the very limited means at his disposal, he created a series of works.

In 1950, he fell in love with Adriana Medrano, the daughter of a circus family, and began a wandering life that would influence his art so much that he was called 'the painter of clowns.' His typical colors are violent and subdued in a lively assortment; the masks of the clowns are sad and ironic against the backdrop of circus wagons and tents. In the 1960s, he returned to Brescia, the city of his youth, which dedicated a major solo exhibition to him, followed by significant international recognitions in Paris, New York, and Stockholm.

From February 8 to 21, 1969, he held a solo exhibition with 45 works at the Ars Italica Art Gallery in Milan.




Cesarino Monti (1920–2011) – Church interior with altar boys – 1970
Description
Original work by Italian painter Cesarino Monti, created in 1970, signed and dated by the artist.

The painting depicts an intense interior of a church, with two altar boys kneeling in the foreground and, in the background, a Madonna with Child framed by liturgical elements.
The scene is constructed through a material and expressive painting, with strong chromatic contrasts and decisive spatula strokes, characteristic of Monti's mature work.

The atmosphere is gathered and spiritual, a highly sought-after theme in the Italian art market of the second half of the twentieth century.
Details
Artist: Cesarino Monti
Year: 1970
Company: present
Technique: oil on plywood
Dimensions: 98 × 78 cm, painting only with frame 111 x 90 cm.
Cornice: included
Condition: good, with normal signs of aging compatible with the age of the work.
Notes about the artist
Cesarino Monti was an Italian painter known for figurative and religious works, characterized by a strong emotional charge and a material painting style. His works are part of private collections and regularly appear in national and international auctions.