Lorenzo Viani, an artist, printmaker, and writer, was born in Viareggio in 1882 and died in Ostia in 1936. His work belongs within European Expressionism. Fishermen, laborers, and people living on the margins of society appear in paintings and drawings marked by his close attention to their lives.
Borsalino
Training in Tuscany and time in Paris
Viani’s training in Lucca and Florence was shaped by Plinio Nomellini and Giovanni Fattori. From 1908 onward, his stays in Paris broadened his experience. He later revisited those years in Parigi, published in 1925, developing a literary voice alongside his painting.
Drawing and the expressive line
In his portraits, line draws attention to faces and expressions. The drawing available from our gallery offers a close view of this approach: marks gather around the eyes and trace the contours of the face. Viani also worked in woodcut, a printmaking technique based on carving a wooden block.
Red-haired Parisian woman Lorenzo Viani
Works in museum collections
The GAMC Lorenzo Viani in Viareggio holds a substantial collection of paintings, graphic works, and woodcut blocks. Its collection includes Benedizione dei morti del mare and Il Volto Santo. Painted in 1914–1916, Benedizione dei morti del mare brings the grief of fishing families into a shared scene. In Florence, the Gallery of Modern Art at Pitti Palace holds his Autoritratto of 1911–1912.
Egidi MadeinItaly offers Testa d’uomo (Head of a Man), an ink drawing on paper dating to circa 1925–1930. Signed along the lower edge and presented framed, it builds the face through quick, overlapping lines. Contact us for the price and details about purchasing and shipping this work.
