Biography

Italian painter and writer. He was one of the leading exponents of Divisionism, particularly skilled at large-scale decorative schemes, and especially important for his writings on technique and theory.

He studied at the School of Art in Ferrara, in Florence, and in 1877 with Giuseppe Bertini (1825-1898) at the Brera Academy in Milan. In 1878, influenced by Grubicy, he turned to Impressionism. He painted historical subjects to begin with but after studying the work of Rossetti and other Pre-Raphaelites his work became spiritual. During the late 1880's he adopted Divisionism (separation of colour into dots or patches applied directly to the canvas). During his lifetime his work was exhibited throughout Europe. He also wrote several books on theory and technique of painting.