Written by Giorgio Morandi himself in Giorgio Morandi. Lettere, curated by Lorella Giudici, with an essay by Roberto Longhi, published by Abscondita, 2003.
«AUTOBIOGRAPHY 1928
I was born in Bologna in 1890.
Since I was young, I had a great passion for painting, a passion that has grown over the years becoming so strong to make me feel the need to completely dedicate myself to it.
My beliefs have not been shared by my father. He was a dealer and he would have preferred if I had followed his footsteps, so he tried in every possible way to bend me to his will. As a good father, he was worried about my future and in his opinion art was an uncertain and difficult way.
But seeing that any attempt to make me change my mind was worthless and thanks to my mother's pressure, at the end he allowed me to attend the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna.
For me it was a great joy, unfortunately saddened by the untimely passing of my father. I was eighteen years old when I was left with my mother and three sisters younger than me.
In this serious moment of my life it was my mother's wisdom, she always believed in my vocation, that made me carry on my studies.
Throughout the whole period of my stay at the Academy of Fine Arts I have to say, honestly, that the teachings provided did not have any other result than to put my spirit in a state of deep discomfort. Just a little of what I have learned, it is now useful to my art.
Since the time I signed up for classes, with enthusiasm and interesting I was listening to the verb "to deconstruct" used by Futurists: the pictorial horizon of that time in Italy seemed to me so flat and cumbersome. Like others young artists of goodwill, I felt in need of a revolutionary and global change which was necessary for the Italian art world. Nevertheless, this idea ended up in a partecipation to the first exhibition "Giovani Futuristi / Young Futurists" at Sprovieri in Rome.
Even less than the old, I was aware that the new aestethic ideas did not meet the needs of my spirit.Irealised that only the understanding of what has been created in painting at its own best vitality during the past centuries, it could have been the mentor to find my way.
These studies, that I have to admit made me fall in new mistakes, were positive, because they led me to regard how many authenticity and simplicity has been used by the old masters themselves. They were constantly inspired by the reality that has a deep poetic charme within itself which spread out from their works. From the oldest to the moderns who hadn't never betrayed these principles, had always produced works full of poetry.
This is when I realized I had to relyon my instinct completely, just counting on myself and forgetting every preformed idea about painting while working.
These little truths were obfuscated by estethical disorder and unecessary ignorance that required enormous efforts to be defeated.
I know how far and how difficult to reach is the destination but I am certain that this is the right path. I do not regret anything because I do not have anything to hide. My integrity always led my work and all my attempts, even the most hesitated ones, made my personality show.
I have always lived in Italy.
The two painters who influenced me the most are Carlo Carrà and Ardengo Soffici; their works and their writtens influenced positively italin art.
I have rarely taken part in exhibitions. I remember 1914's "Secessione" in Rome, various shows in the most important artistic German centers organised by Mario Broglio, the Primaverile fiorentina, "Prima Mostra del '900 italiano" in Milan, recentley held "Selvaggio" and "Internazionale dell'incisione moderna", both 1929's shows in Florence.
I worked for many art magazines, mostly for "Valori Plastici" and "Selvaggio". Lots of articles and critical studies about my production were written by Riccardo Bacchelli, Carlo Carrà, Achille Lega, Giuseppe Raimondi and others.
I was asked to participate in this year's Venice Biennale with my etchings.
Beside my art I also teach drawing in the schools of the Bologna's area».
Since before its foundation in 1978, Galleria d'Arte Maggiore g.a.m. has established a strong relationship with Giorgio Morandi's art becoming the most relevent landmark on Morandi's work on the market and also partecipating into the cultural promotion of his art, trought the collaborations with the major Museums and Institutions around the world, among them: Tate Modern (London, 2000), Musée d'Art Modern de la Ville de Paris (2001), Metropolitan Museum (New York, 2008), Museum of Palazzo Fortuny (Venice, 2010-2011), Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art (London, 2013).
© Maggiore g.a.m.