Guglielmo Janni (1892–1958) was an Italian
painter
Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...
belonging to the modern movement of the ''
Scuola romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
(Roman School)''.
Biography
Son of a renowned Roman family – his father Giuseppe was a lawyer and his mother Teresa Belli was the niece of famous
Italian poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli
Giuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Belli (7 September 1791 – 21 December 1863) was an Italian poet, famous for his sonnets in Romanesco, the dialect of Rome.
Biography
Giuseppe Francesco Antonio Maria Gioachino Raimondo Bell ...
– Janni was to be strongly influenced by his inherited literary background. He graduated at law in 1914 and, just after
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he attended an
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 ...
decorative
Beauty is commonly described as a feature of objects that makes them pleasure, pleasurable to perceive. Such objects include landscapes, sunsets, humans and works of art. Beauty, art and taste are the main subjects of aesthetics, one of the fie ...
course at the
Academy of Fine Arts in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, while studying
philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
and literature on his own.
In 1921, he exhibited at the 1st
Biennale
In the art world, a biennale ( , ; ), is a large-scale international contemporary art exhibition. The term was popularised by the Venice Biennale, which was first held in 1895, but the concept of such a large scale, and intentionally internationa ...
of Rome and around 1924 he was called to decorate the Headquarters of the
Banca d'Italia
The Bank of Italy (Italian language, Italian: ''Banca d'Italia'', , informally referred to as ''Bankitalia'') is the National central bank (Eurosystem), national central bank for Italy within the Eurosystem. It was the Italian central bank from ...
, where he painted a
mural
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
on the history of Italian coinage. Between 1926 and 1927 he collaborated successively with the
Ministry of the Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, the ...
and
Ministry of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
, with the
Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni
INA Assitalia was an Italian insurance company, operating on the Italian market from 1912 to 2013. In the last years it belonged to the Assicurazioni Generali group.
History
INA, Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazioni, was a public entity sp ...
and with
Montecatini Terme
Montecatini Terme (Montecatini-Terme, according to Italian National Institute of Statistics, ISTAT documentation) is an Italian ''comune'' (municipality) of inhabitants in the province of Pistoia, in the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It ...
. During this period (1923–1928), his main themes involved religious motifs and he exhibited his work at the II Biennale of Rome; at the Franciscan Art Contest of
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 ...
; at the Art Show of the National Artists Association of
Florence
Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025.
Florence ...
. Janni also became a lifelong friend of painter
Alberto Ziveri.
In 1928, Janni painted a
fresco
Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...
in the votive chapel of
St. Bartholomew
Bartholomew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Most scholars today identify Bartholomew as Nathanael, who appears in the Gospel of John (1:45–51; cf. 21:2).
New Testament references
The name ''Bartholomew ...
("Monument to the Fallen") at
Busseto (
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, ...
), with influences from
Piero della Francesca
Piero della Francesca ( , ; ; ; – 12 October 1492) was an Italian Renaissance painter, Italian painter, mathematician and List of geometers, geometer of the Early Renaissance, nowadays chiefly appreciated for his art. His painting is charact ...
. He was congratulated by art critic
Roberto Longhi
Roberto Longhi (28 December 1890 – 3 June 1970) was an Italian academic, art historian, and curator. The main subjects of his studies were the painters Caravaggio and Piero della Francesca.
Early life and career
Longhi was born in December 1 ...
, who praised Janni's ''literary'' style of painting – an appropriate evaluation, as the artist's figurative work had acquired a "vocation to
myth
Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
" that will be reflected in all his subsequent work: he will convey it through a tormented and sensual contemplation of the virile form, often concealed by an ambiguous and mundane veil: his "
Endymion" of 1931 confirms this fully.
Giuseppe Ungaretti presented in a relevant catalogue, Janni's first personal exhibition at the
Galleria della Cometa, in Rome in 1936, where many important paintings were displayed, among which: ''Figura d'aprile, Giovani atleti, Lo specchio, Figura di Balletto''. Highly acclaimed by public and art critics, he organised again at the same Gallery a second personal exhibition and, in 1936, he attended the
Biennale di Venezia and displayed three paintings at the Modern Italian Art Expo of
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
.
After a visit to the
Universal Exposition
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...
of Paris with
Alberto Ziveri in 1937, Janni suffered an existential crisis and abandoned painting completely. He then decided to dedicate the rest of his life to studying, editing and cataloguing his grandfather
Belli's unpublished writings, stored in the family library. Janni died while doing this labouring work, which included a monumental biographical opus on Belli's life and poetry, in ten volumes.
[In the Proustian style, Janni kept revising and rewriting whole chapters of his Belli biography, never satisfied with the final result. This work was published posthumously in 1967, condensed into 3 volumes, and edited by R. Lucchese (]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 ...
). See also ''sub voce'', Enciclopedia Treccani
Institute Giovanni Treccani for the publication of the Italian Encyclopedia (), also known as Treccani Institute or simply Treccani, is a cultural institution of national interest, active in the publishing field, founded by Giovanni Treccani a ...
, ''Biographical Dictionary
/ref>
See also
*Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
* Alberto Ziveri
* Giuseppe Ungaretti
*Expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
*Corrente di Vita
''Corrente di Vita'' was a biweekly Italian language, Italian culture magazine published between 1938 and 1940.
The Corrente Magazine
In 1938 artist Ernesto Treccani founded the magazine ''Vita Giovanile'' with the financial backing of his father, ...
*Novecento Italiano
Novecento Italiano () was an Italian artistic movement founded in Milan in 1922 to create an art based on the rhetoric of the fascism of Benito Mussolini, Mussolini.
History
Novecento Italiano was founded by Anselmo Bucci (1887–1955), Leonardo ...
* Valori plastici
Notes
Bibliography
*R. Lucchese, ''Guglielmo Janni'', Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
1972, with essays by G. Ungaretti, L. de Libero & A. Ziveri
*M. Fagiolo Dell'Arco, ''Janni'', catalogue by Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
1986, with bibliography
*M. Fagiolo Dell'Arco, ''Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
: pittura e scultura a Roma dal 1919 al 1943'', Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, 1986
*M. Fagiolo Dell'Arco, Valerio Rivosecchi, Emily Braun, ''Scuola Romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
. Artisti tra le due guerre'', 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 ...
, 1988
*''Scuola romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
'', catalogue by M.Fagiolo & V.Rivosecchi, with intro by F.R. Morelli, 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 ...
1988
*V.Rivosecchi, in ''Piero della Francesca e la pittura del Novecento'', catalogue by di M.Fagiolo & M.Lamberti, Venezia
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
1991
*F. Morelli, "Guglielmo Janni", in ''La pittura Italiana, il Novecento'', Ed. Electa.
*G. Castelfranco, D. Durbe, ''La Scuola romana
Scuola romana or Scuola di via Cavour was a 20th-century art movement defined by a group of painters within Expressionism and active in Rome between 1928 and 1945, and with a second phase in the mid-1950s.
Birth of the movement
In November 192 ...
dal 1930 al 1945'', Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, 1960
*''Roma sotto le stelle ("Rome under the stars")'', catalogue by N. Vespignani, M. Fagiolo, V. Rivosecchi, eds., Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
1994
*General Catalogue of Galleria comunale d'arte moderna e contemporanea, ed. by G. Bonasegale, Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
1995
External links
Biography
on ''Scuolaromana.it''. Accessed 26 May 2011
Bio Note
on ''Treccani.it''. Accessed 30 May 2011
Museum of Scuola Romana
Official site of ''Scuola Romana''
Glossary entry
, article on ''RomaNotizie.it''. Accessed 26 May 2011
{{DEFAULTSORT:Janni, Guglielmo
1892 births
1958 deaths
20th-century Italian painters
Italian male painters
Avant-garde art
Painters from Rome
20th-century Italian male artists