GENNARO VILLANI

The artist Gennaro Villani was born in Naples Italy in l885. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts under the tutelage of famous teachers such as Michele Cammarano (of whom he was a favorite pupil), Gaetano Esposito and Vincenzo Volpe. Still very young, he showed his art at home and abroad, winning various awards and achieving artistic recognition everywhere. Gennaro married Elisa Miele, one of his students, in l936 ,and they had one daughter they named Ena who is also a very well known artist in her own right. She is the curator of Gennaro Villani's works, papers and documents which includes reviews from important art critics both in Italy and other nations. During his life he befriended the intellectuals, writers and poets of the era, such as Salvatore di Giacomo, Roberto Bracco and Francesco Cangiullo.

As an artists he was invited to the prestigious salons of Paris, Venice, Rome and Turin, showing his works both in Europe and the United States.
In his youth he lived in Paris, sharing a pad with friend Raffaele Ragione and living a true " vie de bohème". While in Paris, Villani became part of various cultural associations, whose members included writer Anatole France and the impressionist painters of the period.
His one man-show at the Galerie Danton was a sold out and with this kind of success he left to return to Naples where he continued to paint and teach at the Academies of Naples and of Lucca in Tuscany.
His well known painting "Sinfonia Azzurra" hanged first at the Gallery of Modern Art in Rome and then was returned to The Capodimonte Museum in Naples, other painting are to be found at the Fine Art Academy of Naples and the Oran Demaeght Myuseum in Algiers.

Gennaro Villani survived the harsh war years to die prematurily Christmas night of l948 at the young age of 63. He happily sat at his easel till the final days of his life.
After his death, his works continues to be much appreciated by world's collectors and is still part of expositions organized by art historians,as prof.Marinetta Picone Petrusa,in private collections and art galleries, and sold by Sotheby and Christie, Semenzato,Vincent,etc..