Carlo Cornaglia Paintings

Carlo Cornaglia was an Italian illustrator, caricaturist, and painter, best known for his satirical drawings and his work within the Scapigliatura movement. Born on May 2, 1843, in Turin, Piedmont, he grew up during a period of significant political and social change in Italy, which influenced much of his later work.

Cornaglia initially trained at the Accademia Albertina in Turin, where he developed his skills in drawing and painting. Early in his career, he demonstrated a penchant for satire, which would become a hallmark of his artistic output. He was heavily involved with the Scapigliatura movement, an Italian equivalent of the French Bohemian movement, which sought to shake up the traditional and conservative constraints of Italian art and literature. The Scapigliatura movement was characterized by a rebellious attitude, a disdain for bourgeois values, and an interest in the macabre and the unconventional.

Throughout his career, Cornaglia contributed to various periodicals, such as 'Il Fischietto', 'L'Armonia', and 'La Gazzetta del Popolo', where his caricatures and illustrations became popular for their wit and critical edge. His work often contained commentary on the political and social issues of his time, including the unification of Italy and the challenges that followed. He was known to skewer public figures and societal norms, using humor as a vehicle for his critiques.

Later in life, Cornaglia's focus shifted somewhat from illustration to painting. His paintings often depicted historical and allegorical subjects, but he continued to infuse his work with a sense of irony and social commentary. Despite his contributions to Italian art and his involvement with the Scapigliatura, Cornaglia did not gain the same level of recognition as some of his contemporaries.

Carlo Cornaglia passed away on August 17, 1915, leaving behind a body of work that reflected his sharp wit and his commitment to critiquing the establishment. While not as well-known today as some of his peers, his work remains an important part of the cultural and artistic history of Italy in the 19th and early 20th centuries.