Anselmo Govi (

Reggio Emilia Reggio nell'Emilia (; ), usually referred to as Reggio Emilia, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, and known until Unification of Italy, 1861 as Reggio di Lombardia, is a city in northern Italy, in the Emilia-Romagna region. It has about 172,51 ...

, 1893–1953) was an Italian painter and decorator, a member of the late

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

school known in Italy as

Liberty style Liberty style ( ) was the Italian variant of Art Nouveau, which flourished between about 1890 and 1914. It was also sometimes known as ("floral style"), ("new art"), or ("modern style" not to be confused with the Spanish variant of Art Nouveau ...

Biography

He was born in

. The surname Govi is the Romanesque version of the French Medieval surname "Le Govic" or "Le Goff", also known as Gove, Govier or Govi. This suggests a branch of his paternal family originated in the

Franco-Provençal Franco-Provençal (also Francoprovençal, Patois or Arpitan) is a Gallo-Romance languages, Gallo-Romance language that originated and is spoken in eastern France, western Switzerland, and northwestern Italy. Franco-Provençal has several di ...

area and moved later to Italy. Anselmo Govi was the maternal uncle of Giacomo Benevelli. Govi was Director of the Art Institute Gaetano Chierici and President of the Cooperative of Painters and Decorators of Reggio Emilia. His masterpiece is the frescoes on the cupola of the Ariosto Theatre in Reggio Emilia; the works, painted in 1927 in ''Liberty Style'' or Italian Art Nouveau, depict scenes from the

Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...

by the fellow citizen

Ariosto Ludovico Ariosto (, ; ; 8 September 1474 – 6 July 1533) was an Italian poet. He is best known as the author of the romance epic '' Orlando Furioso'' (1516). The poem, a continuation of Matteo Maria Boiardo's ''Orlando Innamorato'', describ ...

. The ledge of the dome is also painted with the first verses of the Ariosto's poem. During the twenties, Govi painted the frescoes adorning the 16th century Palazzo Ancini in Reggio Emilia. The ceiling of the main staircase are decorated with an ''Allegory of Charity''. Anselmo Govi painted the frescoes and mosaics that adorn the facade of the Suburban Cemetery of Reggio Emilia. The Cemetery was built in 1808 and designed by Domenico Marchelli (1764-1832). The facade (1932-35) was conceived by the architect Prospero Sorgato with contribution by Govi. Govi also painted frescoes (1935) for the Rocca Estense which now houses the Museum of the Agriculture in San Martino in Rio. The frescoes, inspired by Venetian Renaissance painting, depict ''Christ and twelve angels''. Govi's fresco adorn the presbytery of the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin in

Montecchio Emilia Montecchio Emilia ( Reggiano: or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about west of Reggio Emilia. Montecchio Emilia borders the follow ...

. In 1937 he painted the frescoes of the vaults, nave and apse of the Church of San Pietro Apostolo, Carignano in

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

. The frescoes depict episodes from the life of St. Peter. Paintings by Anselmo Govi are permanently exhibited at Palazzo Vezzani-Pratonieri (16th century) in via San Carlo in Reggio Emilia and in the Church of San Pietro, Reggio Emilia. In 1980 the Civic Museums of Reggio Emilia organized a major retrospective exhibition dedicated to Govi. Titled ''Anselmo Govi: Painter and Decorator'', the exhibition was accompanied by an illustrated catalogue edited by G. Berti, T. Storchi, N. Squarza (published by Musei Civici Reggio Emilia). The City of Reggio Emilia dedicated a street to him.

References

1893 births 1953 deaths 20th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Italian decorators Artists from Reggio Emilia Art Nouveau painters 20th-century Italian male artists {{Italy-painter-19thC-stub