Biography Mario Bernasconi

1 biography

1.1 work , study
1.2 works , scholarships
1.3 career, character, marriage , travel
1.4 return ticino
1.5 awards , prestigious appointments
1.6 exhibitions

biography

mario bernasconi born in 1899 in lugano-pazzallo, in home facing museum. son of luigi bernasconi (electrician) , caterina dozio (seamstress). grew sister maria (nini), 2 years younger.

he attracted called la mia montagna (my mountain) - san salvatore. on mountain, discovered clay , received first inspirations. during childhood, beside school there country life. brought home lizards, snakes, insects of every kind, studied , observed attentively.

work , study

1914 - once obligatory schools terminated , having learn trade, mario worked in pharmacy in lugano. in evening posed model in studio of sculptor luigi vassalli. captured arts, mario left pharmacy , became student of luigi vassalli (monument carlo battaglini). appears angel-like figure in monument. in addition posing , performing hard work, learned art of moulding, design in relief, , study of human body. in carving marble , shaping clay more ever convinced become sculptor. 1917 - mario continued studies painter , sculptor giuseppe foglia , started own studio in pazzallo, in house mario bernasconi museum. in studies, mario inspired michelangelo, donatello, rodin, maillol , lehmbruck.

early works , scholarships

mario obtained first federal scholarship renewed 3 consecutive years:

1921 - mask la scema (the idiot)

la scema - work

1922 - portraits of enea , eva .

1923 - bust la giovane madre mario young mother

ritratto_di_eva - work

.

he made portraits of friends, among them angelo tonello, painters filippo boldini, gualtiero colombo, writers vinicio salati francesco manzoni , silvio calloni naturalist pazzallo.

he created head of cristo (christ) stands atop steps of san pietro pambio cemetery, @ center of big stone cross.

christ

1923 - mother became ill , died. period of inertia followed, s portrait of mother brought creativity.

1925- @ national exhibition of fine art @ kunsthaus zurich, federal government acquired statue il curato di campagna (the country priest) , donated bronze city of lugano

detail of country priest

the full plaster figure can seen @ museum in pazzallo. on june 13, 1926, in new york, on daily news of workers of america, new world in center of front page appears reproduction of sculpture il martire (the martyr) mario bernasconi. giacomo matteotti, in new york on day, second year of tragic death commemorated. bernasconi later donated sculpture chamber of labor in lugano.

career, character, marriage , travel

the artist demonstrates free-thinker, great lover of nature, mystic, philosopher, intuitive, poet, romantic. family , friends considered him gentle , having character, bit narcissistic, sentimental , emotional. argumentative @ times revolutionary , remembered motto lottare per non morire (fight not die).

of encounter friends, writes francesco manzoni in volume mario bernasconi scultore editions aurora, lugano:

political rounds break loose , mario wearing valiere tie, singing bandiera rossa (red flag) , hymn anarchists or play them on mouth accordion, face assuming faun flavor whereby authentic faith affirmed without reservation: perhaps great anger, had epic of brecht , when cooled off, ended recitation of scarlet ca ira.

matured strong impression of egyptian sculptures, greek , roman, 1 of renaissance, neo-gothic of lehmbruck, realism of rodin, mario bernasconi found own style. art studies, gives preference cities of siena , florence (firenze) , continues formation through contact artists , intellectuals. works in central switzerland, zurich, bern , glarus.

1927 - marks beginning of moving , rich successful career. le sculture aperto nella citta di lugano, pagina 115, biografie through family von alvensleben of porza, mario meets irma pannes, descendant of distinguished german family, became wife. bride , groom depart germany. first stop freiburg, darmstadt , wiesbaden. meets werneralvo von alvensleben in berlin first porza association exhibit took place in berlin on december 9, 1927. while waiting studio in berlin travels wife reichenbach in slesia thereafter reaching city of prague, rich in works of art. being swiss italian artist werner von alvensleben , russian painter arthur bryks, founders of porza association inauguration of second exhibit taking place on march 25, 1928, in berlin.

the period in berlin turns out useful , prolific of career, contacts friendly atmosphere permits him establish , friendly relations leading personalities of artistic, scientific , literary world. enthusiasm, makes portrait of german writer carl zuckmayer while made drawing of sculptor @ work. becomes friend erich maria remarque, @ time worked on famous novel im westen nichts neues . meets la jana(actress)jana famous dancer of thirties, makes portrait of actress elisabeth lennartz takes part in grosse berliner kunst austellung 1928 . in potsdam @ gutmann estate/ villa spends period of great prosperity family of banker gutmann (director of dresden bank) creates portraits of banker, wife daisy , , 2 children , sculpture park estate.

the following trips take him krefeld birth-city of wife, duesseldorf, frankfurt on main, munich in bavaria, breslavia , paris porza home erected. in cities, created , left numerous artworks.

return ticino

1929-1933 - artist returns ticino wife irma , rents home in sala capriasca artistic standpoint wants achieve static, balanced , contained movement emanating silence. several works created: il busto di irma (bust of irma) federal purchase can seen martin disteli museum of olten. in 1931 creates: la preghiera (the prayer) tomb in cemetery of san pietro pambio, of family ostilio foglia. statue of l asceta,(the ascetic) 1 of adolescent. various torso , many nude studies. portraits of period between sala , zurich, are: professor max huber president of international tribunal in hague. professor emilio motta al liceo di lugano. professor angelo pizzorno liceo di lugano. pastor nicolas-boldt, writer in lugaggia; professor gogarten of university of jena; cornelia forster; emil mauser, industrial zurich.

in 1933 takes part in exposition spsas @ kunsthaus zurich , @ staatliche kunstaustellung munich. many artists , friends berlin , zurich come visit home in sala capriasca. book mario bernasconi scultore editions aurora lugano, vinicio salati writes in l amico (friend): couple of artists new forces resumed. young russian artist wrote: ... me , many of friends, sala pilgrimage.

the artist wanted purchase home owner not sell it. reluctantly had leave beloved residence paradise, , favorite gathering place many international artists. mario miss forever. find temporary residence in montarina above lugano, @ villa beausite

1934 - @ villa beausite sister s son, l adolescente (the adolescent), giuseppe (teti) posing him. slender boy figure, of there several statues represent him, such bronze on museum facade in pazzallo.

1935 - portrait of famous pianist claudio arrau, poses him @ villa beausite. setting of great bronze statue la donna distesa (the reclining woman) @ carona cemetery.

travel in italy, tuscany, florence , siena. trip bad godesberg, germany creates statue of st. anthony marienheim.

1936 - rents home in center of cureglia, remaining there 25 years. home of 1500s. belongs fontana family , had been home , gathering place artists. last tenant, before bernasconi lived there, painter ernesto fontana, lived in milan, , occupied home in cureglia during warm seasons. building, filled relief , stucco work, visited artists left signatures, writings , poems on veranda walls.

1937 - birth of daughter claudia , sculptor makes portrait when baby 13 days old. bronze neonata (newborn) @ government building in bellinzona.

1939 - completes project of cristo (christ) family rickenbach tomb in schwyz. takes part @ great exhibition, landesaustellung zurich creates before public.

awards , prestigious appointments

bernasconi finds large studio in lugano, along cassarate river, companion artists work such boldini, ribola, moglia, ardnoldi (it) , others.

1942 - federal acquisition of portrait francesco chiesa portrait @ palazzo comunale in castagnola.

1943 - mario bernasconi presents 4 projects madonna placed in front of san lorenzo cathedral in lugano. competition organized pro helvetia. on forty-six participating sculptors, mario winner virgo potens project. meets amelia anastasi quadri, pianist lugano, discovered , encouraged child, giacomo puccini. poses model statue of madonna.

1945 - federal acquisition portrait of cornelia .

1946 - great statue of madonna di san lorenzo commissioned pro helvetia , city of lugano, executed in fine saltrio marble, referred virgo potens inaugurated , placed in courtyard of san lorenzo cathedral overlooking city of lugano. speech held francesco chiesa luigi caglio of artwork exalted in: l affermazione dei valori della vita affirmation of life s values

among values of life mario bernasconi firm believer, religiosity without being subject discipline, without making profession of faith in dogmas, indisputable. spiritual position came light in statue of madonna stands in front of cathedral of san lorenzo. of verses of litany, artist chose 1 reflected intentions. virgo potens . woman has been shaken , trembled @ annunciation, mother generated divine infant in squalor of bethlehem stable, 1 torn atrocious sufferings inflicted on son, statue symbolizes vigorous vitality. seeing her, 1 induced enter word robur (fortress) in salve regina, mary pleaded life dulcedo et spes nostra.

his works have seen , endured many moves , travels in switzerland , abroad.

1947 - 1949 - again sculptor without workshop. offered studio in village of vezia. survives creating funerary art.

1950 - creates il tobiolo (boy fish) school fountain in massagno:: statue la dolente (the sufferer) family poretti tomb, lugano cemetery.

the statue fanciulla con fiammella (girl light) family ammon tomb, lugano cemetery.

1951 - finds large atelier (workshop) in building of italian consulate, @ via dufour in lugano. there stays , works rest of life.

1952 - creates great relief demeter franchini residence in lugano.

the statue il lavoratore (the worker) family laurenti tomb in carabbia.
a second bronze of worker placed in 1981, @ cittadella square in cureglia, facing home artist lived 25 years.

1953 - delivers agricultural institute of mezzana, mighty statue il seminatore (the sower).this work of art commissioned president etter , property of state , canton ticino art collection.

in same year creates statue, nicolao della flue (nicholas of flue) main square of neggio.

1954 - creates statue risveglio, placed in 1981 in belvedere park lake lugano, along artworks other famous artists.

1955 - inauguration in bever (engadine) of pastorello con pecora (sheperd sheep) , second 1 dedicated marmotte .

1956 - inauguration of acquaiola (the water carrier) on quai of paradiso in center of fountain.

regarding water-carrier positive critique appeared, on march 9, 1956 prof. charly clerc, entitled: sculpteur tessinois on front page of journal de geneve, . here translated french:

mario bernasconi fine , original artist has worked hard. projects in studio stand demonstrate not distinguished artist great artist

soon in paradiso inauguration take place of young girl draws water fountain, ensemble of gentleness, grace , grandeur.

1960 - 1963 - company baylender of milan, asks mario bernasconi create, centennial occasion of kleinewefers company in germany, statue il genio del lavoro (genius der arbeit)

mario finishes artwork.

for pedrinis establishment, creates relief (his last work) il mercato di lugano (lugano s market) third panel remained unfinished.

mario bernasconi died morning of march 19, 1963, @ italian hospital in viganello, day after death of sister. double funeral takes place on march 21, @ cemetery of san pietro pambio. government officials of dicastero della cultura present aldo patocchi, president of societa ticinese delle belle arti . vinicio salati , cesco manzoni, 2 faithful friends end, gave farewell speech.

artwork , personality of mario bernasconi, 1 of maximum sculptors of period, have not yet been object of deep studies, constitutes serious gap comprehension of southern swiss artistic reality of first half of 20th century. quote elisabeth voyame translated italian on arte in ticino, categoria arte 2003, third volume, page 330, article 112.

by rudy chiappini, salvioni editor.

at time decision made daughter create museum collect , preserve artworks.

exhibitions

1920 - bernasconi shows works @ museo villa ciani lugano exhibitions of societa ticinese delle belle arti.

from local exhibits, passes confederate centers turnus, open @ kunsthaus zurich. there, presence remains constant end.

1925 - kunsthaus zurich. national fine art exhibition.

1927 - first exhibit porza association in berlin, germany.

1928 - second exhibit porza association in berlin max dungert, edward matare, kaethe kollwitz, alexej jawlensky, yves klein, georg muche, marianne von werefkin, nicolay wassillieff, christof drexel, oswald herzog, lothar homeyer, arthur segal , carl zuckmayer, 1 of known in field of theater , music.

in same year, mario bernasconi participates @ grosse berliner kunstaustellung 1928.

1930 - gallery aktuarius zurich, maurice utrillo, maurice de vlamink, anders zorn , max oppenheimer.

1932 - kunsthaus zurich , museum winterthur hedy giger, margarete goetz, charles hug, w. meier, e. morgenthaler, e. perinciolli.

1933 - kunsthaus zurich exhibition of spsas

1933 - state exhibition of munich in bavaria.

1934 - aktuarius gallery zurich, cuno amiet, maurice barraud, blanchet, epper, griser, giacometti, hermann haller , hubacher.

1935 - kunsthaus zurich, mario exhibiting sculptor southern switzerland.

1937 -art museum bern. la nazionale.

1938 - kunsthalle bern. arte ticinese.

1939 - landi, (landesausstellung) zurich. swiss national exhibition, mario bernasconi , alexander soldenhoff create in front of large public.

1944 -kunsthalle basel s.p.s.a.s. societa ticinese delle belle arti, lugano.

1952 - personal exhibition @ casa d italia (italian consulate) in lugano. societa ticinese delle belle arti, lugano.

1964 , 1969 - museum villa ciani personal exhibition mario bernasconi , irma bernasconi pannes

1971 - posthumous show attilio balmelli, giordano passera , irma bernasconi pannes @ civico museo d arte villa ciani, lugano

1981 - museum has been opened in pazzallo-lugano works of mario bernasconi, wife irma pannes , numerous works contemporary artists friends. city named piazza museum located piazzetta mario bernasconi.

the home close museum artist born has been restored , has on display artworks of mario in younger years. museum , casa natale can visited free admission.