Duilio Cambellotti
Duilio Cambellotti (Rome, 10 May 1876 – Rome, 31 January 1960) was an Italian sculptor, painter, illustrator and scenographer, as well as one of the leading figures in Italian applied arts in the early 20th century. His remarkably versatile career developed across different disciplines, combining artistic research with craftsmanship and decorative design.
In particular, Duilio Cambellotti’s applied arts ranged from ceramics and stained glass to illustration, furniture and stage design. Moreover, his work reflected the cultural renewal of the period, bringing together modern artistic ideas, traditional craftsmanship and a strong interest in nature and the rural world.
The formative years and early research
In 1895 Cambellotti enrolled at the Museo Artistico Industriale in Rome, where he studied decoration and applied drawing. This training played a decisive role in shaping his interest in the relationship between fine and applied arts.
Soon afterwards, he travelled to Turkey with the architect Raimondo D’Aronco. Visits to the archaeological museums of Athens and Naples further strengthened his interest in antiquity, mythology and decorative forms.
Back in Rome, his early plaster works, ceramics and illustrations already combined tradition and mythology with the new artistic tendencies developing in Europe.
In 1901 he was among the winners of the Alinari competition for illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy. His drawings were later published in the 1902–1903 edition.
The XXV della Campagna Romana
In 1904 Duilio Cambellotti joined the XXV della Campagna Romana, a group of artists devoted to the landscape of Lazio and the direct study of nature.
The Roman countryside and rural life became central themes in his work. His interest, however, went beyond landscape painting and also reflected a strong concern for the social conditions of the countryside.
Theatre, ceramics and teaching
From 1905 Cambellotti worked as a scenographer and costume designer for the Teatro Stabile in Rome. Theatre remained an important part of his career for more than forty years.
In 1907 he visited the Fornaci San Lorenzo of Chino and Galileo Chini, an experience that strengthened his interest in ceramics.
He also frequented the traditional potters of Trastevere, decorating bowls, plates and vessels with motifs inspired by the Roman countryside, animals and archaeology.
In 1908 he obtained the chair of ornamental modelling at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome.
The 1911 Agro Romano Schools Exhibition
In 1911 Cambellotti took part in the International Exhibition in Rome and collaborated on the Mostra delle Scuole dell’Agro Romano. He designed the large exhibition hut and created its poster.
The exhibition also included his sculptures and works by Giacomo Balla devoted to the Roman countryside.
Stained glass and ceramics
In 1912, Duilio Cambellotti together with Umberto Bottazzi, Vittorio Grassi and the master glassmaker Cesare Picchiarini, Cambellotti organised the first exhibition devoted to artistic stained glass.
The initiative contributed to the revival of this traditional medium through a new relationship between drawing, coloured glass, light and material.
Between 1919 and 1928 he also produced numerous ceramic vessels for the Regio Istituto Nazionale per l’Istruzione Professionale, working with Fernando Frigiotti, Romeo Berardi and Roberto Rosati.
Decorative arts between Rome and Monza
In 1921 Cambellotti created a large three-part ceramic panel representing the Zodiac. That same year, he held a solo exhibition of bronzes and ceramics at Maria Monaci Gallenga’s Bottega Italiana in Rome.
In 1922 he was given a room devoted to sculpture at the Esposizione degli Amatori e Cultori, where he presented twenty works in bronze, plaster and ceramics.
International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza
Duilio Cambellotti’s applied arts reached a particularly mature expression at the 1923 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Monza. For the exhibition, he designed five complete interiors combining furniture, ceramics, sculpture, wrought iron, textiles and stained glass.
Around the mid-1930s he created an important series of painted and glazed terracotta vessels. Some examples are now preserved at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche in Faenza.
Duilio Cambellotti and the Pontine territory
Cambellotti maintained a profound connection with the rural landscape of Lazio and the Pontine area.
Today, the Museo Civico Duilio Cambellotti in Latina preserves works and documents relating to his activity, including sculpture, drawings, ceramics, prints and preparatory studies. The museum offers an important testimony to the artist’s long relationship with the Agro Pontino.
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