Giancarlo Vitali was born on the 29th of November 1929 in Bellano on the Lake Como from a family of fishermen. He began painting when he was fifteen, after having worked for the Institute of graphic arts (Bergamo).

* 1947, he exposed his first work at the Angelicum in Milan, on the occasion of the biennial exhibition of sacred art.

* 1949, he came to perform in the biennial exhibition two of his works: "Visitazione" and "Cena in Emmaus receiving enthusiastic appreciation from Carlo Carr. He awarded a fellowship from the Brera Academy but because his family couldn't afford to maintain him in Milan he renounced it. Thus his concerned decisive moment will result in a long period of silence in his striving to fulfillment.

* 1981, his son Velasco, painter as well as his father, supported and encouraged him to begin the activity of engraver.

* 1983, Giovanni Testori after having seen a quartered rabbit wanted to meet the artist. A profound and solid relationship, founded on mutual esteem and admiration, stems from this encounter, which later became a prolonged deep-rooted friendship. The year after Testori dedicated to the artist an article in the third page of the Corriere della Sera and afterwards organized the first solo exhibition of the artist. Thus from that moment on he got to perform in several public and private locations and released a copious series of catalogues and engravings portfolios.

At the end of 80's he realized lots of public works. Among which the remarkable The portrays of benefactors of the Ospedale Maggiore in Milan appointed by the framework Foundation Ca' Granda.

Exhibitions

* 2007 - Giancarlo Vitali works, IIC Madrid
* 2005 - Cartella Clinica, chronicle of an unsought sojourn. Drawings and paintings in the Aula Magna of the Ospedale di Lecco.
* 2003 - LOltranza della pittura, in memory of Giovanni Testori. Spazio Cinquesensi, Milan.
* 2002 - La musica dipinta, drawings and oils. Spazio Cinquesensi , Milan.
* 2001 - Daprs, Arsmedia Bergamo; in 2002 the exhibition is presented, adding further drawings and oils, at Compagnia del disegno in Milan.
* 2000 - Il Paese del Pittore, homage by the city of Bellano for his 70th birthday. Spazi industriali dell'ex Cotonificio Cantoni.
* 2000 - Lunario Minimo, organized by the Comune di Cento in collaboration with Promoart, Ferrara. Chiesa sconsacrata di San Lorenzo.
* 1999 - The public library of Milan held an exhibition at Palazzo Sormani presented by Giancarlo Consonni with more than 100 works on paper. The Cantico gallery in the monastery of San Damiano (Assisi) hosted the exhibition Le stagioni della Vita, presented by Domenico Montalto.
* 1997 - La Memoria Sottile, at the Scuderie of Villa Manzoni, Lecco. Over 100 drawings.
* 1996 - A huge anthology curated by Marco Goldin and set up at Palazzo Sarcinelli in Conegliano.
* 1994 Giancarlo Vitali, Anthology of the engravings organized by Civica Raccolta Bertarelli at Sala Castellana of Castello Sforzesco in Milan.
* 1991 - Le forme del tempo, a tribute to the notable figure of the paleontologist abbot Antonio Stoppani. Musei Civici of Lecco, Villa Manzoni and Galleria Bellinzona.
* 1987 - La famiglia dei ritratti, still curated by Testori and set up at Musei Civici of Lecco.
* 1985 - Giancarlo Vitali, curated by Giovanni Testori. La Compagnia del Disegno, Milan. It may be considered his first solo exhibition. During these years several exhibitions will succeed in various locations.
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