Mosè Bianchi
1840–1904 · Italian painter and printmaker of Romanticism and Naturalism, associated with the Lombard Scapigliatura
Mosè Bianchi (Monza, 1840 – Monza, 1904) was an Italian painter and printmaker trained at the Brera Academy in Milan. His work moves between Romanticism and Naturalism, and he is considered a notable member of the Scapigliatura, the movement active in Lombardy between about 1860 and 1880 that sought to convey feeling through pure colour and the study of light.
He interrupted his studies to fight in the Second Italian War of Independence and then resumed his training under Giuseppe Bertini. His early works were academic in style, including patriotic paintings that favoured Garibaldi and religious subjects. After periods in Venice and Paris, he turned to genre scenes and history paintings, and produced views of Venice and Chioggia inspired by Tiepolo and Guardi, as well as frescoes such as those at the Villa Giovanelli in Lonigo.
His legacy lies in his attention to light and chromatic vibration, traits that partly anticipate Divisionism.
Works (6)
Oil on canvas painted in 1866 by Mosè Bianchi. Its title points to the moment after a duel, suggesting an aftermath scene, though details about the figures and circumstances remain unclear. The work is held in the Musei Civici di Monza. Without further documentation, its setting, intention and wider meaning cannot be established with certainty.
This genre scene by Mosè Bianchi, painted in 1872, places the viewer inside Monza Cathedral. As a genre painting, it likely focuses on everyday life rather than a religious or historical episode, though the available information does not specify who appears or what is happening at the moment shown.
Portrait of Simonetta Galimberti, painted by Mosè Bianchi in 1861, belongs to the portrait genre and is held at the Musei Civici di Monza. The available information does not specify the commission, the circumstances of its making, or anything about the sitter beyond her name, so any reading of the composition should be cautious.
This 1875 portrait shows a man, though the available information does not identify him or clarify his social standing. Without further references, we cannot establish the purpose of the commission or the setting in which it was painted. The work is now held in the Musei Civici in Monza.
Painted in 1883 by Mosè Bianchi, this work is known in English as The Genius of Savoy, a title that suggests a link to the House of Savoy, though little more is known about its subject or commission. It is now held in the Musei Civici in Monza.
Where to see the work
- Musei Civici di Monza Monza · 6
Teachers and pupils
Studied with
- Giuseppe Bertini 1825–1898
- Luigi Bisi 1814–1886
Curiosities
A painter at war
Bianchi left his studies at the Brera Academy in 1859 to fight in the Second Italian War of Independence. After the conflict he returned to Milan and continued his training under Giuseppe Bertini. The experience coincided with the start of his patriotic paintings, in which Garibaldi appeared as an admired figure.