Mattia Jona, Master Drawings and Prints, Japanese Prints - Piazzetta Guastalla 5, 20122 Milan, Italy, tel (+39) 02 8053315

LUIGI CONCONI (Milan 1852 - 1917) LE PARLATE D'AMORE (Still life with roses)
Etching, signed and dated in the plate 'Conconi 80'; a fine impression of the only state, printed with plate tone, on thin wove paper with 'FABRIANO' watermark. With large margins, in very good condition. To the platemark 180 x 255 mm, the entire sheet measuring 332 x 477 mm. See M. Bianchi, G. Ginex, 'Luigi Conconi incisore', Milan, 1994; cat. no. 11. This print has been inspired by the opera 'Faust' by Charles Gounod, which debuted in Paris in 1859 and in Milan in 1862. Conconi etched this print at the time of the second Milanese performance in 1880. The musical notes and the verses on top left are related to the first scene of the third act.

Luigi Conconi was an architect, painter and illustrator. Born in a Milanese middle-class family, he was the nephew of the painter Mauro Conconi. Luigi studied architecture at the Accademia di Brera and at the Politecnico in Milan, and he used his architectural training occasionally throughout his career. Since his years at the Politecnico, he became acquainted with the literary and artistic circles of the Scapigliatura and Tranquillo Cremona and Daniele Ranzoni influenced his early paintings. In the 1880s Conconi moved from the Realism of Scapigliatura toward the Symbolism, developing an interest in visionary themes. He received the international recognition of prizes in Paris in 1900 and in Munich in 1913. Conconi was also a skilful and sensitive printmaker, who revived the art of the etching in Lombardy, being the leading exponent of the 'acquaforte monotipata', an etching printed with a large amount of ink left on the plate, creating evocative effects. Conconi printed personally almost all his own plates.