Adolfo De Carolis (1874-1928) - Il Varo, 1908

木版画 二枚組み 寸法: mm 221 x 353 / mm 490 x 320。イタリアの画家・版画家・イラストレーター。 Initially he studied in Bologna at the Academy of Fine Arts, and after obtaining his diploma, in 1892 he moved to Rome. Here he met the poet Nino Costa, founder of the cenacolo In arte libertas, which proposed a renewal of art through the rediscovery of the greats of the Quattrocento, following the example of the Pre-Raphaelites. De Carolis thus began to frequent this group and became a member, starting to create paintings with a Pre-Raphaelite imprint. In 1900 he met the poet Giovanni Pascoli, for whom he designed and executed a silver goblet and the plaque for the cane, gifts from the friends of the Florentine magazine Marzocco; he then began to work on the graphic decoration of some publications of the poet. This collaboration proved important in the artistic production between 1892 and 1928, because the works of this period portray rural and maritime landscapes influenced by Pascolian intonation. In 1901 De Carolis left Rome for Florence, where he taught ornament at the Academy of Fine Arts, dedicating himself to woodcut printmaking. This technique was very dear to him, and he was the first in Italy to revive the ancient technique of color woodcut prints with multiple woods. Numerous were the single sheets or illustrations for various magazines and for the works of his friend D’Annunzio. This print is taken from the series dedicated to life at sea, composed of six sheets. A subject very dear to the artist for whom he realized not only several sketches, but also many photographs. In this sheet, through green and yellow inks on a white background, a boat and several men are depicted. In the foreground on the left, two full-figure men who, with great strength, their bodies tensed, assisted by two other portraits leaning forward, pull on ropes. In the background, a large vessel is about to set sail, carried to sea by men positioned in various stances, who push, who pull on ropes, to make Ausonia, the ship’s name engraved on its side, cut through the Adriatic waters. Ausonia is the name Latin poets gave to all of Italy after the Roman conquest (4th century BCE), and in an article published in “Rivista marchigiana illustrata,” De Carolis compares the strength and audacity of the fishermen of San Benedetto to Homeric sailors. In the background, the sea stretches to the horizon and the coast. An excellent impression on smooth ivory paper. Excellent preserved condition. Ample margins beyond the plate edge.

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