Carlo Bellosio (

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, 1801 –

Bellagio Bellagio may refer to: * 79271 Bellagio, a main-belt asteroid * Bellagio (resort), a luxury resort and casino in Nevada, United States * Bellagio (Hong Kong), a private housing building * Bellagio, Lombardy, an Italian town near Canzo * Bellagio Ce ...

, 1849) was an Italian painter, active mainly in

Lombardy The Lombardy Region (; ) is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in northern Italy and has a population of about 10 million people, constituting more than one-sixth of Italy's population. Lombardy is ...

in the Neoclassical style.

Biography

He trained in Milan as a pupil of

Pelagio Palagi Pelagio Palagi (25 May 1775 – 6 March 1860) was an Italian painter, sculptor and interior decorator. Biography Early life Pelagi was born in Bologna. Starting at a very young age the study of perspective, architecture, figurative and p ...

. He painted for the church of San Ambrogio in Voltri (in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

); for the chapel of the church of San Sepolcro in Milan; for the church of

Santa Maria Segreta Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture Christian culture generally includes all the cultural practices which have deve ...

in Milan; an ''Assumption of Mary''; and for the temple of San Protasio, he painted a ''Baptism by John'' (both church and painting destroyed). He also painted for San Barnaba and Santa Maria Podone. He also worked in Trezzo d'Adda,

Vertova Vertova (Bergamasque: or ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about northeast of Bergamo. As of 31 May 2021, it had a population of 4,449 and an area ...

Val Seriana The Serio ( Lombard: ''Sère'') is an Italian river that flows entirely within Lombardy, crossing the provinces of Bergamo and Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left ...

, and for the Sanctuary of San Prospero in Cressa in

Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...

. He frescoed bacchantes and

Maenad In Greek mythology, maenads (; ) were the female followers of Dionysus and the most significant members of his retinue, the '' thiasus''. Their name, which comes from μαίνομαι (''maínomai'', “to rave, to be mad; to rage, to be angr ...

s with an Aurora in the grand room of the casa Poreti in Milan; also decorative frescoes for the casa Scotti in

Ponte San Pietro Ponte San Pietro (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, northern Italy. It is about northeast of Milan and about west of Bergamo. Sights include the Villa Mapelli Mozzi. Geography Ponte San Pietro is built on ...

, for the casa Casati in

Como Como (, ; , or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como. Nestled at the southwestern branch of the picturesque Lake Como, the city is a renowned tourist destination, ce ...

, for the casa dei Conti Leonardi in

, in a Medolago in casa dei conti Medolago in

Medolago Medolago (Bergamasque: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Bergamo in the Italian region of Lombardy, located about northeast of Milan and about southwest of Bergamo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,231 and an ar ...

, for the casa dei conti Borromeo in

Viggiù Viggiù (; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Varese in the Italian region Lombardy, located about northwest of Milan and about northeast of Varese, on the border with Switzerland. Viggiù borders the following municipalities: ...

; and Pallanza (now part of

Verbania Verbania (, , ) is the most populous ''comune'' (municipality) and the capital city of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. It is situated on the shore of Lake Maggiore, about north-west of Milan and ab ...

as well as

Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...

, For an Englishman from Devonshire, England, he painted a canvas copy, life size, of ''

The Last Supper Image:The Last Supper - Leonardo Da Vinci - High Resolution 32x16.jpg, 400px, alt=''The Last Supper'' by Leonardo da Vinci - Clickable Image, '' The Last Supper'' (1495-1498). Mural, tempera on gesso, pitch and mastic, 700 x 880 cm (22.9 x 28.8 ...

'' of Leonardo. In 1834, he painted his masterwork, an ''Episode of the Flood'' for the Royal Villa of Racconigi. Here he collaborated with his master

Palagi Palagi (, singular) or papalagi (plural) is a term in Samoan culture of uncertain etymology, sometimes used to describe foreigners. In the Samoan language, the term is used to describe non-Samoans, usually white foreigners of European or America ...

and his contemporary Vitale Sala to complete a cycle of frescoes and oil paintings on various decorative and mythologic themes.

Francesco Gonin Francesco Gonin (December 16, 1808 in Turin – September 14, 1889 in Giaveno, near Susa, Piedmont) was an Italian painter, engraver and scenographer. Biography Early life Francesco's father Giovanni was of French descent, and his mother Sa ...

also collaborated in the decoration of some of the rooms. He was also commissioned to fresco the Royal Villa of

Pollenzo image:Pollenzo San Vittore.jpg, 250px, Church of San Vittore at Pollenzo. Pollentia, known today as Pollenzo (), was an ancient city on the left bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro. It is now a ''frazione'' (parish) of Bra (CN), Bra in the Province ...

; and later for the Royal Palace in Turin, where he frescoed the ''Institution of the order of the Santissima Annunziata'' in the chapel of the Royal Castle. He returned to Bellagio, where in 1841 he painted another ''Scene of the Universal Flood'', a rich composition with many figures and episodes; after this, again for the Royal Palace of

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, he painted a fresco of ''Penelope proposes the archery challenge to the suitors'' In 1845, he traveled to Russia to visit the site of the Napoleonic

Battle of Berezina The Battle of (the) Berezina (or Beresina) took place from 26 to 29 November 1812, between Napoleon's and the Imperial Russian Army under Field Marshal Peter Wittgenstein, Wittgenstein and Admiral Pavel Chichagov, Chichagov. Napoleon was retre ...

. He planned to paint a large composition of this event (''Il passaggio della Beresina'') which occurred during the retreat of Napoleon, and where many Italian soldiers lost their life. While he worked intensely on the 14 by 6 meter canvas for months, he died before it was finished.''La Pittura lombarda nel secolo XIX.''
Tipografia Capriolo e Massimino, 1900, page 40.

Sources

* This article was translated from the corresponding article on the Italian Wikipedia.
Carlo Bellosio
Entry, by Franca Dalmasso in Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani - Volume 7 (1970).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellosio, Carlo 1801 births 1849 deaths 19th-century Italian painters Painters from the Austrian Empire Italian male painters Painters from Milan 19th-century Italian male artists Bellagio, Lombardy