William Tode
William Tode
Mantova, Italy
About William Tode
William Tode is one of the greatest protagonists of contemporary art and present on Artprice(search William Tode on artprice.com). His cultural interests range from visual arts to literature and sculpture. For almost thirty years, he has been one of the most committed and important artists of the Italian Neo-Realism, especially concerning frescoes, He is considered to be one of the last great wall painters, the heir of the teachings of the Tiepolos. He was born in a town near Mantova in Italy. When he was fourteen he attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Modena but for two years only, under the guidance of Master L. Spazzapan, one of the greatest Italian protagonists of Abstract Expressionism. The boy discovered the French painting of the impressionists, but he was especially captivated by Cézanne, Gauguin and Van Gogh, with their colours and shapes. In 1954, soon after moving to Rome with his family, Tode lost his mother, who was only forty-two years old at the time. Art and school were the only areas where he could find comfort for his great pain. In a few months, he worked hard and was able to prepare a five-year-long program. His final dissertation on History of Art was on Michelangelo's architecture. His love for Piero della Francesca, Masaccio, L. Signorelli and Michelangelo will be an important and endless source of inspiration for the young artist’s forthcoming development of aesthetics and work, also in terms of being a "frescante",fresco painter. After that, William started his adventure at the French Academy. Just seventeen, he passed the entry exams by painting a wide selection of nudes by heart, in front of the examination board and in just three hours. In Paris, he met Giovanni March, with whom he became friendly. Thanks to this friendship, he had the opportunity of attending the leading European art printing house, "Le Mercier Charbonnel", where he could test all the possibilities offered by graphics techniques, and realized many lithographic stones. He frequently worked with Georges Braque and Gino Severini. One day, on 16 January 1956, while William was working on a Maternità (Maternity), his friend Giovanni March came over to the printing house, together with the great master Picasso, who liked the young artist and invited him to pay him a visit at his studio. From 1975 to 1977, he created one of his masterpieces, the "Fucilazione dei patrioti baschi",(The Shooting of the Basque Patriots), a large oil on canvas, size 3,8x2,70 mt. From 1979 onwards William Tode’s Neo-realism, defined by Giulio Carlo Argan as “neo-romantic aesthetics and psychology”, experienced a crisis. He then returned to the cubist-futurism style, simultaneously undertaking his research on the analogies between music and colour. In 1980, the Mantua town council put him in charge of a show exhibition celebrating Virgil's bi-millenary anniversary, with the collaboration of E. Paratore, Carlo Bo and Giulio Carlo Argan. This was opened by the President of the Italian Republic, Sandro Pertini, William Tode invited the great sculptor Henry Moore and all his friends of the Neo-realism group to the exhibition, they included Renato Guttuso, Tono Zancanaro, Augusto Murer, G. Manzù, E. Treccani, A. Borgonzoni and A. Ruggiero Giorgi. In almost ten years of work the artist created, in his unit “The Parnaso”, a long cycle of frescoes placed in different rooms. Among them, the passionate "Omaggio al mondo della musica" (Tribute to the world of the music) stands out.(Amazing and sensational ...). From 1980 onwards, the artist also worked with ceramics by developing and testing new technologies. In his ceramic fresco, he created large decorative panels, marking a new era in the “third fire” ceramics,for the tile industry. In 89 and 90, he was invited, as the only contemporary artist, to the “CerSaie" exhibition held in Bologna. His ceramic works were also exhibited in Barcelona, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, Miami, New York,Tokyo etc. We can continue to write, but It's better to talk about his Art, of the master between two centuries.........
Education:
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personal site
www.williamtode.com
Events:
Master W. Tode has set up more than 150 exhibitions in 60 year of career, in Italy (Rome, Florence, Milan and many others), United States (Boston and Chicago), Leningrad, Moscow, Frankfurt, Barcelona, Paris, here i post more rapresentative
- First private exhibition, painting and sculptures. School of art, Gonzaga (MN) Italy May 1947 Maggio Giugno 1947 edited by Doctor Tito Boschesi and Director Prof. Mario Manfredini
– private exhibition "Galleria Babuinetta" Rome 1958 edited by Master Alberto Ziveri
- Falconara (Ancona-Italy) Pinacoteca "Turismo e Spettacolo", private exhibition, works french's period (1955- 1958), il Cubismo, August 1959,edited by Duilio Morosini
– Theater "Pirandello" Rome; Director Aldo Rendine- private exhibition works neorealist's period – may 1962 with wise by Master Stanislasky
– National prize of figurative art - Cinecittà – Rome october 1962 - first award with work
“Omaggio al Martire della libertà spagnola Grymau”, artistic committee Del Guercio, Giuseppe Marchiori, Dario Micacchi, Duilio Morosini, Marcello Venturoli e Ugo Attradi
– Gallery modern art Galleria “Michelangelo” Rome April-May 1963; William Tode - objectivation to be- edited by Prof. Giulio Migliorini
– Roma- Art gallery "La nuova Pesa" March '64, personal exhibitionedited by Carlo Levi e Duilio Morosini.
- Arezzo modern art gallery "L’Incontro" april,may '65- exhibition graphics and paints edited by Prof. Piero Greci and Prof. Gilberto Madioni
- Florence society of fine arts "Dante's house" nov. '68, personal exhibition, Neorealista's time edited by Prof. Piero Bargellini, Master Giovanni March, Prof. Luigi Servolini and prof. Mario Borgiotti.
– Milan Gallery "il Naviglio" personal's exhibition march 1969, edited by della Baronessa Ghitta Hussar e del Dott. Enrico Pirondini, Aldo Canova.
– Leningrad – Museum Hermitage's palace - exhibition of italian masters neorealism aug,set,oct. 1970- Guttuso ,William Tode. Giuseppe Zigania, Tono Zancanaro, Augusto Murer and Aldo Borgonzoni.
– Moscow - exhibition works Neorealist period, al at Pusckjn museum- oct.-nov.1970 a edited by Duilio Morosini e Dario Micacchi.
- Venice – International biennal Art and graphic 1970 - M° William Tode- la sua opera grafica, critical contribution by Tono Zancanaro, Carlo Levi e Aldo Borgonzoni.
– Urbino – university's room- Mostra del Tristano - feb. mar. 1983- edited by director's university edited by "Magnifico Rettore Prof. Carlo Bò", critical contributions by Prof. Bruno Vezzani e Enzo Fantin.
– Bologna - personal exhibition at Expò "Cersaie" Bologna- September 1989 edited by Dott. Raul Fontana President of company "Ceramiche Brennero e Fontana".
– Francoforte – Expò – February 1989 – Exhibition edited by Raul Fontana.
– Barcellona – Expò – April 1989 – Exhibition- edited by Raul Fontana.
– Paris– Expò june 1989 – Exhibition ceramic's works – edited by Raul Fontana.
– Chicago – Expò- McCormick Center- Luglio 1989 - ceramic's works tribute to Mantegna, Pisanello e Giuli
– Bari Levante's fair – December 2001- Exhibition tribute on Master W. Tode- French's period and cubofuturismedited by D. Del Vecchio e A. Calabrese
- Roma anthologic exhibition, period '55-'07, 330 opere, painting, sculpture and graphics Pinacoteca "Agostinian Vaticans museum"- May-june '08 edited by Prof. Carmine Benincasa, Sabino Vona e Luca Bonucchi, e di Sua eminence archbishop Gualtiero Bassetti.
– Boston november 2012 gallery academy of fine arts Harward university- paints of Cubofuturism and color's master.
Exhibitions:
Master W. Tode has made many exhibitions and received many awards, here i post more rapresentative
– Suzzara (IT) 1954 award for more younger artist- il prized by Magnifico Rettore university of Bologne Prof. Francesco Flora artistic's commission president.
- National award painting “Il Circo Equestre Orlando Orfei “jan 1961- first prize for painting “Ridi Pagliaccio e tua figlia piange”,oil on canvas Cm. 80x100
- Prize for contemporary art in Cinecittà Rome- first award for painting “Ragazzo di Borgata” and first award for graphics xylograph colors “Le mani sulla città”. june '61
– international competition of painting “Prize Tarquinia Vincenzo Cardarelli september 1961- Palazzo Vitelleschi- first prize with “Paesaggio di Anzio- vecchia darsena”, encaustic on canvas cm. 100x80, with patronage of republic president Giovanni Gronchi, del Presidente della Camera dei Deputati On. Leone, del Presidente del Senato della Repubblica On. Cesare Merzagora e del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri On. Prof. Amintore Fanfani- Commissione Artistica, On. Amintore Fanfani, Giuseppe Cesetti, Achille Funi, Domenico Purificato, Prof. Carlo Barbieri, Prof. Valerio Mariani.
– Four_year prize in Rome' 63 – special for "Affresco" “L’attesa “ affresco strappato cm. 100 x 180 President of the artistic commission Prof . Fortunato Bellonzi, Mario Mafai, Ferruccio Ferrazzi e Luigi Bartolini, Alberto Ziveri, Achille Funi.
– First national prize for painting “La Primula Rossa” city of Legnago (Verona) august 1963- President's Artistic commission Cesare Zavattini e M. Venturoli
- Marseille international biennal art graphics May 1969 – first prize for litography, “All’infanzia abbandonata “ in white and black cm. 70x100.