Bio
FRANCESCO GIANNINI was born in Barletta, Italy, on 4th February 1942, into a family of Tuscan origin. While still a small child he moved with his family to Milan. Now, he lives and works in Peschiera del Garda, near Verona, Italy.
He studied art at the Higher School of Art in the Sforzesco Castle in Milan with Professors Beltrame, Mantica and Gino Moro, completing his artistic formation at the Art Academy of Brera, Milan. He married Anita Gatti his companian from Academy of Fine Arts of Brera, also painter artist.
In 1980 he was elected member of the Academy of Fine Arts and Graphic Art in Pisa.
He is a member of the permanent Society of Fine Arts in both, Milan and Verona.
From march 2013 he is secolary francescan (tertiary).
His works are owned by collectors in Italy and abroad.
The Benedictine Story In The Philippine Islands
Visitors to this exhibition will find themselves in the presence of a great work of research which has been necessary both for the themes depicted and for the techniques employed for the execution of this enormous painting, which measures mt 14 x 12 on a scale of 1/5, and is divided into seven different canvases, each with a separate theme.
It was not easy to decide how to set about this immense and exacting work of art. I would like to tell you something of the technical methods and procedures I have followed, and reveal a few secrets to you, those which artists do not usually disclose to anyone.
First of all, the use of the “sanguine” technique. This is a method particularly suitable for the execution of drawings, sketches or studies, in particular for those with a religious theme.
Sharpened “sticks” of hematite, a ferrous mineral, are used to make drawings on paper in a reddish color, which can be well defined, evanescent or softly shaded, according to the personal preference or needs of the artist.
There are no precise rules; from the 11th century onward, at the height of the European Middle Ages, we can find the “sinopia”, which was a preparatory drawing for a fresco, which would be painted directly on to a wall or ceiling. This sinopia would be made in sanguigne, the basic component, together with natural earth colors and lactic casein, a fixative derived from milk, and paintings were created as frescos or otherwise, using mixed techniques, which have survived until the present day, in excellent condition.
During the European Renaissance period (14th – 16th centuries), and even today, sanguigne is used by artists, employing different colors which are treated with a mixture of natural earth colors.
Art lovers can follow all the unfolding of this work, step by step with the many reflections and “second thoughts” made by the artist or introduced for external reasons, in the approximately 280 pages of the book “Benedictine Story in the Philippine Islands, edited by Aelred U. Nilo, OSB, which contains hundreds of color photographs of the studies, sanguigne and paintings of all the work as it has developed.
Let us take a look, on pages 5, 6 and 7, at the central painting of the Benedictory Christ, with the logotype symbol of the Benedictine Order; here we can follow the various stages of the work, from the first considerations on the face of Christ to the idea of the symbol (the glass window). As we see the details of the various studies, it is immediately evident how important the use of the red sanguigne colors is to the creation of the work.
We can verify this by examining closely the actual sketches and the transparency of the colors produced through the careful shading of the sanguigne.
It is also interesting to observe the study of Our Lady of Montserrat, of the various figures, or the portrayal of the Abbots who have succeeded one another in the course of recent years. These portraits have been created where possible from photographs of monks past and present, each one depicted with his personal identity. The composition developed from a sanguigne drawing, placing the Madonna at the centre of the work and then building up with sanguigne and natural earth colors to delineate the other figures. The stages of this painting can be followed on pages 169 to 197 of the book, for those who wish to know exactly how it was achieved.
I would like to make a few comments on the studies and the painting of Saint Benedict and Saint Scholastica. This special theme has been studied, interpreted and brought into realization with particular respect and devotion. I do not think it is possible to create religious art without emotional participation. Observing the sketches, together with the notes on pages 118 – 141 of the book, we can enter into harmony with the colors, sanguigne and natural earth, which have been used, especially for the portraits of the two saints; the methods and techniques employed are clearly discernable for a full appreciation of the final result. When you look at the painting I hope you can enjoy not only the visual result, but also the spirituality I trust I have imparted.
I have prepared a series of about fifty portraits as an integral part of the studies. They have been realized in actual size, using the sanguigne method for the first draft and then completing with natural earth colors which have the same characteristics as the sanguigne.
(Translated by Rosemary Clay Giannini)
