Antonio Barzaghi - Cattaneo Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Antonio Barzaghi Cattaneo (Lugano, 14 March 1834 – Calprino, 29 October 1922) was a Swiss painter. He was the son of Antonio and Carlotta Taddei from Lugano, where he studied first at the college of the Somaschi Fathers[1] and then, after a brief period as a typographer, at the city's drawing schools under the direction of Giacomo Donati. Read the full biography

Antonio Barzaghi Cattaneo (Lugano, 14 March 1834 – Calprino, 29 October 1922) was a Swiss painter. He was the son of Antonio and Carlotta Taddei from Lugano, where he studied first at the college of the Somaschi Fathers[1] and then, after a brief period as a typographer, at the city's drawing schools under the direction of Giacomo Donati. In 1857 he moved to the renowned Brera Academy in Milan from 1856 to 1863. The most important works start from 1867 and are found scattered throughout Italy and Switzerland. We remember the saints in the Orthodox church of San Spyridon in Trieste from 1867, the Loves of Bacchus and Ariadne from 1872 at the Hôtel National in Lucerne, and Moses coming down from Sinai with the tables of laws and Christ preaching to the crowds from 1875 in the church Horgen Protestant. In 1879 he participated in the National Exhibition in Basel with Giorgio Jenatsch who meditated on the liberation of the homeland and in the Salon d'Automne in Paris thanks to which he achieved a certain success so much so that he settled in Paris for some time and was part of various academies. Of this period there are also works in Ticino such as the Assumption of the Virgin in the Church of San Maurizio in Bioggio. In the following years he continued with historical subjects such as Giovanna Gray, Adamo da Camogasco kills the landfogto of Guardaval (1880), oil on canvas, preserved in the Cantonal Art Museum of Lugano, Charles the Bold (1884) preserved in the Museo civico di belle arts of Lugano, Youth of Elizabeth of England (1887) and Extremum dedit Suavium (1890). From 1887 to 1895 he moved to the United Kingdom, traveling to various cities until finally returning to Ticino. The works at the Tonhalle in Zurich and the Federal Palace in Bern (1905) and the decorations of the central post office in Lugano (1911) can be assigned to the last period. He also participated in the renovation of the cathedral of San Lorenzo in Lugano. He was a member of the Federal Commission of Fine Arts from 1906 to 1908.