Roberto Iras Baldessari (1894–1965) View Of Venice

Roberto Marcello Baldessari (1894–1965) was an Italian painter and printmaker, a leading figure of Futurism. Born in Innsbruck, he moved with his family to Rovereto shortly after his birth. From a very young age, he showed great talent for drawing. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice, where he made his first connections with modern art groups and became involved in the Futurist movement.

In 1915, Baldessari moved to Florence and joined the Futurists. There he developed his own style, contributed to Futurist journals, and met important artists such as Filippo Tommaso Marinetti. In the early 1920s, he traveled throughout Central Europe, experimenting with Dadaism and abstract art. Since these works were not very successful in Italy, he subsequently devoted himself primarily to landscape painting and printmaking.

Beginning in 1925, Baldessari lived in Rome, where he produced numerous etchings, lithographs, and drawings. In the 1930s, he participated in international exhibitions and briefly returned to Futurism. Notably, he exhibited at the Venice Biennale and Marinetti’s Aeropittura exhibition. He then devoted himself primarily to graphic arts and fresco painting.

In 1940, Baldessari settled permanently in Rovereto. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards, and his works were featured in major exhibitions. Monographs on his work, highlighting in particular his contribution to Futurism, were published in the 1950s and 1960s. Roberto Marcello Baldessari died in Rome on June 22, 1965.