Giovanni Colmo (1867-1947) - Sulla via di casa

Giovanni Colmo was an Italian painter of the 19th and 20th centuries, known for his dedication to landscape painting and his self-taught training. Born in Turin on May 13, 1867, he was the elder brother of Eugenio Colmo, a well-known caricaturist under the pseudonym 'Golia.' After attending the Classical High School, he enrolled at the School of Application for Engineers, graduating in Civil Engineering in 1891. He worked for a few years at the Municipality of Turin, but in 1923, at the age of fifty-seven, he decided to dedicate himself entirely to painting. His painting, linked to the Piedmontese landscape standards of the 19th century, though somewhat conventional, reached moments of good quality in the production of smaller panels. Colmo was a regular exhibitor at the Turin Artists' Circle and participated in several editions of the Turin Quadriennale. Besides his beloved Piedmont, he painted in Venice, Chioggia, Rome, and Umbria, focusing on Lombard lakes and the Ligurian Riviera. After World War II, he lived and worked between Garessio and Finale Ligure. He is buried in the Monumental Cemetery of Turin. The Civic Art Gallery of Garessio has dedicated two permanent rooms to Giovanni and Eugenio Colmo, preserving some of his most significant works.