Fabio Fabbi (1861-1945) - Cattedrale

Fabio Fabbi (Bologna, July 18, 1861 – Casalecchio di Reno, September 24, 1945) was an Italian painter.
Biography

A student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, he was one of the leading exponents of Orientalist painting.
In Bologna, at 57 Via Santo Stefano, Fabio Fabbi was born on July 18, 1861. Both parents were members of the upper bourgeoisie. In 1877-78 the young Fabio attended the fifth year of the special sculpture course, receiving honorable mentions for his sculptural talent. In 1878, under the guidance of master Augusto Rivalta, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts of Florence, receiving in 1880 the silver medal for life sculpture. From 1883 he began to frequent the circle of artists in Florence.
In 1886, together with his elder brother Alberto (1858-1906), Fabbi undertook a journey to Alexandria, Egypt. This particular experience marked the artist’s pictorial turning point, after which he abandoned sculpture. Fabio was fascinated by the oriental and multicultural context of the city. He therefore decided to document it through a diary and photographs that he would later translate onto canvas.
He also devoted himself to illustrating children’s books and, in particular, curated the illustrations for Emilio Salgari’s books, infusing "in the writer’s books a particular and graceful atmosphere of oriental dream"[1]. He also illustrated Louisa May Alcott’s books, Little Men between 1910 and 1911 and Little Women in 1916[2].
In 1888, after returning from Egypt, he exhibited some works produced during his trip at the Circolo degli Artisti in Florence. Subsequently, he participated in various international exhibitions, notably in Munich. Thanks to the painting "Ecce Homo" he won, in 1899, a prize in the competition "The Head of Christ". He dedicated many works to two cities, Paris and Bologna in particular. From the 1890s onward he collaborated with several Italian magazines and renowned publishing houses. A large part of Fabio Fabbi’s artistic work was devoted to Orientalism. However, there are also Symbolist, sacred art, and historical works.
For his artistic merits he was awarded the title of Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy. In 1937 he moved from Bologna to Casalecchio di Reno, where he devoted himself to sacred art. He died in the same town on September 24, 1945.
Fabio Fabbi, nicknamed “the last of the Orientalists,” can be counted among the most documented and studied artists of the “long Bologna 19th century.” The Fabio Fabbi Archive preserves and protects his documentation and conducts appraisals and historical-artistic research.
The painting is attributed to FABIO FABBI on canvas board and is sold with a frame.
THE PAINTING IN QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE PROPERTY OF THE FAMILY