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

LUIGI CONCONI (Milan 1852 - 1917) GIOSUE' CARDUCCI
Etching, 1907. A fine proof impression of an early state, not described in literature, before a lot of etched work in several places, extensively touched with black chalk, titled in black chalk on the bottom 'CARDUCCI', skillfully printed with sepia ink working on the surface tone (acquaforte monotipata), on thick wove white paper. Signed 'LConconi' in the film of ink left in the plate in wiping and numbered 'pr. IX' (ninth proof). Slight foxing; the sheet is pasted on cardboard and partly covered by a cardboard passepartout pasted on it. The passepartout covers the platemark. Dimensions of the visible sheet 530 x 440 mm; overall dimensions with mounting 633 x 540 mm. See M. Bianchi, G. Ginex, 'Luigi Conconi incisore', Milan, 1994; cat. no. 51. The portrait of the Italian poet Giosuè Carducci has been etched by Conconi to participate in a competition organized by the Reale Calcografia of Rome to celebrate the achievement by Carducci of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1906. PROVENANCE: Gallerie Geri (Milanese auction house, c. 1974), private collection, Milan.
For an impression of a later state of this print see here on my website.

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.