Fiorenzo Tomea

Fiorenzo Tomea, an Italian artist of the twentieth century, was born on February 7, 1910, in Zoppè di Cadore, the youngest of ten children. His childhood was marked by poverty and the death of his father in 1920, an event that forced him to move to Milan with his brother Giovanni, where he undertook various jobs, ranging from working in a tavern to a circus, eventually becoming a street vendor.

His artistic career gained momentum in 1926 when he relocated to Verona and began attending evening classes at the Accademia Cignaroli. Here, he connected with other young artists, including Sandro Bini, Renato Birolli, and Giacomo Manzù. In 1931, he was called to arms and served in the military in Florence; however, it was in 1934 that Tomea had a significant experience in Paris, where, along with his friend Aligi Sassu, he had the opportunity to study the works of artists such as Cézanne and Van Gogh firsthand. This stay enabled him to meet key figures in the Italian art scene, including Gino Severini and Giorgio de Chirico.

Upon returning to Italy, Tomea permanently settled in Milan, where he participated in the inaugural exhibition of the group “Corrente,” founded by Ernesto Treccani. In the 1950s, his talent was recognized on a national level, culminating in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 1956. During this time, he also became the mayor of Zoppè di Cadore, a position he held until his death in 1960.

Tomea's work is characterized by a profound reflection on the human condition, expressed through a variety of subjects, including skeletons, candles, masks, still lifes, and landscapes. Over the years, his colors became increasingly lighter, revealing an acquired inner serenity, while his style evolved towards a compositional simplification. The artist succeeded in infusing poetic meaning into everyday elements, such as a burnt-out candle, which symbolizes the fragility and transience of life.

His art, oscillating between serenity and tragedy, reflects the influence of his experiences during World War II, transforming into a search for a primordial poetic that excludes tortuous emotions in favor of more modest and serene affections. In his later years, his focus also turned to religious themes, highlighting a profound connection between the sacred and the everyday.

Fiorenzo Tomea leaves us an artistic legacy that continues to speak to the complexity of the human experience through a painting that celebrates life in all its nuances, from beauty to introspection, from serenity to tragedy, in an aesthetic journey that remains suspended in time.