Eugenio Gignous (1850–1906) - In campagna

Eugenio Gignous (Milan, August 4, 1850 – Stresa, August 30, 1906).
Private collection


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Eugenio Gignous (Milan, August 4, 1850 – Stresa, August 30, 1906) was an Italian painter.

Biography
Son of Maria Taveggia Brizzolara and Laurent, a silk merchant of French origin, he soon demonstrates an early talent for painting and in 1864 enrolls at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, where until 1869 he attends Luigi Riccardi's Landscape School and later Gaetano Fasanotti's. After moving to Milan with his family, he becomes involved with the Milanese Scapigliatura environment, forming a deep friendship with Daniele Ranzoni and Tranquillo Cremona, who live in the same building, and attending the Artistic Family.

In 1870, he debuted at the XXIX Exhibition of the Società per le Belle Arti di Torino with Lavandaie della Magolfa: during this period, he almost exclusively dedicated himself to landscape painting, experimenting en plein air as early as his lessons with master Riccardi. Together with friends Luigi Rossi and Achille Tominetti, he created views of the Lombard and Piedmontese countryside, which he consistently exhibited at major national exhibitions such as Florence, Genoa, the Accademia di Brera, and Turin, where he came into contact with the artists of the Rivara School.

Towards the end of the 1870s, he developed a propensity for landscape painting in a naturalist style, modeled after the works of Filippo Carcano, with whom he began painting on Lake Maggiore from 1879, inaugurating a thematic repertoire dedicated to views of Verbano, Mottarone, and the Val d'Ossola.

He participated in the 1881 Milan National Exhibition with 'Dintorni del lago Maggiore: paese e Laveno' and in the 1883 Rome exhibition with four works; the following year, he was at the Promotrice of Turin with 'La quiete,' purchased by the Ministry of Public Education, along with four other paintings. From 1885 to 1894, he was a member of the board of the Brera Academy, which he attended annually at the Society's Promoter exhibitions.

Having become a well-established figure in Lombard painting, since 1887 he has resided in Stresa with his wife Matilde Ferri and their five children. There, he immerses himself in the vibrant social and cultural scene of Lake Maggiore, capturing its mountain and lakeside landscapes, often accompanied by colleagues Uberto Dell'Orto, Achille Tominetti, Achille Formis, and Pompeo Mariani.

In 1891, he participated in the First Triennale of Milan with 'Marzo' and 'Studio dal vero', purchased by King Umberto I, and in 1895, he exhibited 'Bosco' at the First International Exhibition in Venice. Also, 'Monte Rosa', presented at the Promotrice of Turin in 1897, was purchased by the Ministry of Public Education. During this period, he opened a studio in Stresa for young female students, among whom were Camilla Bellorini (1879-1906) and Maria Zinelli (1877-1961).

Stricken by a throat tumor, he died in Stresa, where he was buried, on August 30, 1906, at the age of 56. In 1907, the Venice Biennale and the Promotrice of Turin dedicated retrospective exhibitions to him.

Nephew Lorenzo (1862-1958) was also a naturalist painter, known for his views of the landscapes of Lake Maggiore. His daughter Ginette (1891-1982), who for years was the companion of the well-known futurist painter Aroldo Bonzagni, later married the renowned Milanese glass entrepreneur Paolo Venini.