Umberto Lilloni

Umberto Lilloni was born in Milan in 1898 and passed away in 1980. By 1929, at just 31 years old, he held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Bardi, which also published his first monograph. Two years later, Bardi noted a transformation in Lilloni's painting, observing that “the painter has since become gentler, with pauses that have a hint of enchantment: the color has been purified and dematerialized.”

This progressive dematerialization, particularly evident in his landscapes studied en plein air—from the coasts of Liguria to his familiar Medole—imbues Lilloni's works with a fairy-tale atmosphere, reflecting his humble and discreet approach to nature. Even the squared houses lose their harshness, softened into “a modest and timid intimacy,” adorned with delicate and clean color ranges. Through his “minute brushwork,” Lilloni definitively distances himself from Novecento landscapes, especially in terms of “philosophical attitude.”

In works such as Paesaggio ad Arenzano, he revisits the chromatic patches that capture the irregularities of nature, embodying the concept of végétal irrégulier, which Margherita Sarfatti had critically addressed. Lilloni's landscapes thus serve as a testament to his unique vision, celebrating the subtle complexities of the natural world while conveying a sense of serenity and beauty.