Salvatore Lo Forte (20 March 1804 – 11 January 1885), also sometimes written Loforte, was an Italian painter, active mainly in his native Palermo and painting in a

neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo-classicism, emerged as a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassici ...

Biography

He was born in

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

. His first training was under the painter G. Burgio, and they

Vincenzo Riolo Vincenzo Riolo (February 14, 1772 in Palermo, Sicily – July 5, 1837) was an Italian painter of the Neoclassical style, active mainly in his native Sicily. Biography He trained in Palermo initially with Antonio Manno and Francesco Sozzi, ...

. In 1816, he attended lessons in the Royal ''Accademia del Nudo'' of Palermo, where he studied under

Giuseppe Velasco Giuseppe Velasquez, Velasques or Velasco (16 December 1750 – 7 February 1827) was an Italian painter, active in a Neoclassic style. Biography He was born at Palermo into Spanish family; his father was Fabiano Ungo de Velasco. At the age of ...

. Along with Riolo he was employed in the restoration of the Novelli frescoes in the Chapel of the Holy Crucifix in the church of San Filippo Neri in Palermo. In 1824, he received a scholarship from the Municipal government to study under

Vincenzo Camuccini Vincenzo Camuccini (22 February 1771 – 2 September 1844) was an Italian Neoclassicism, Neoclassical painter. He was considered the premier academic painter of his time in Rome. Biography Early life and education Camuccini was born in Rome, ...

in Rome. By 1830, he was back in Palermo, where he painted the ''Blessed Sebastiano Valfré performs the miracle of healing a cripple'' for the church of Sant'Ignazio all'Olivella. In 1837, he was appointed director of the ''Regia Accademia del Nudo'', succeeding Riolo. In 1857, Lo Forte was replaced by Francesco Lo Jacono. He was in demand for both portraits and religious subjects.Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (Treccani)
article by Maria Viveros, Volume 65 (2005) His portrait of Garibaldi is on display at the

Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo The Modern Art Gallery of Palermo (Italian language, Italian: Galleria d'Arte Moderna Palermo) is a civic art gallery of Palermo, displaying works from the 19th until the early 20th century, located on Via Sant'Anna #21, adjacent to the church o ...

. He painted an altarpiece depicting ''Saints Benedict and Scholastica'' for the church of

Santa Chiara, Noto 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 ...

. One of his pupils was Giuseppe Tambuscio. There is a bust of the painter on display in the gardens of Villa Bonnano of Palermo. Busto di Salvatore Lo Forte.jpg, Bust depicting Lo Forte in Villa Bonnano Ritratto della signora Pintacuda - Salvatore Lo Forte.jpg, ''Portrait of Lady Pintacuda'' by Lo Forte Ritratto di Giuseppe Garibaldi - Lo Forte.jpg, ''Portrait of Garibaldi'' by Lo Forte

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lo Forte, Salvatore 1804 births 1885 deaths Artists from the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies Painters from Palermo 19th-century Italian painters Italian male painters Italian neoclassical painters 19th-century Italian male artists