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Vespasiano Bignami (1841–1929) was an Italian painter, art critic, and caricaturist. He belonged to theScapigliatura movement, and helped foundLa Famiglia Artistica.
He was born inCremona, then in theAustrian Empire. Apprenticed to a seller of colored postcards at the age of eight, he spent some time at theAccademia Carrara ofBergamo underEnrico Scuri. In Bergamo, poor, and needing to scramble to make ends meet, he "painted thank-you notes with water-colors; penciled a theater curtain (sipario) for an amateur group; made small paintings of acrobats; made signs for inns and businesses; painted hundreds of cherubs on the wallpaper of a church; made a painted canvas organ cover depicting a twice life-size figure of Saint Cecilia; painted wooden church sculptures, painted glass forMagic lantern projectors, and made many cartoons for frescoes and paintings by classmates".[citation needed] In 1861, he moved to Milan, and made cartoons for the satirical and patrioticL'Uomo di Pietra (referring toScior Carera). He also illustrated books and journals, and produced industrial art.
In 1869, he exhibited at the Brera a painting titledBotanical Lesson, which won theMylius Prize. In an exhibition atBrussels, he exhibitedCondemned to Death, which depicts a panic-stricken chicken flapping its wings, beak open, looking in vain for an escape from its fate in a kitchen. He also frescoed houses including the ceilings of the villa in Nizza of architect Maraini (destroyed in fire, 1874). In 1879, he paintedFour Evangelists for the church of Rosazza Biellese. In 1881, he exhibited a painting titledUn Trivio in the Academy Exhibition of Milan.[1][2]
In 1873, he helped found theFamiglia Artistica of Milan, which still serves as an association for artists.[3] He was a friend to many artists and helped write biographies ofFrancesco Barzaghi andCesare Tallone. He taught at theAccademia di Brera. He was a member of the city council and a director of theGalleria d’Arte Moderna of Milan. He traveled to work inSan José, Costa Rica.[4] He died in Milan in 1929.
The art criticCarlo Bozzi helped organize Bignami's notes and papers and donated them to the city of Milan, where they are now represented by the Vespasiano Bignami Collection.[5]
