Umberto Bottazzi Biography
Umberto Bottazzi, born in Rome in 1865, was a multifaceted artist who trained mainly as a self-taught artist, although his brief attendance at the Scuola Libera del Nudo in Rome was also significant. His first exhibition took place at the Society of Amateurs and Connoisseurs of Fine Arts in 1900, 1907 and 1908, where he presented drawings. In addition to being a painter, Bottazzi also dedicated himself to architecture, with the design of the well-known "Villino Moderno" located on the Lungotevere Prati. Furthermore, he worked as a decorator, engraver and illustrator for notable magazines such as "Emporium", "Fantasio", "Nuovissima", "La Grande Illustration" and "La Casa". In his illustrations for the latter magazine, it is possible to notice his affinity with the languages of Symbolism, Liberty and the Viennese Secession. His most famous stained glass windows were exhibited during the two exhibitions of the Vetrata Artistica in Rome; in 1912 he presented the works "Praying Bishop", "The Peacocks" and "Madonna with Child", while in 1921 he exhibited "The Tulips", "The Swans" and "Butterflies", three stained glass windows that draw inspiration from modernism. Until the last years of his life, Bottazzi was interested in the history and urban planning of Rome, becoming a scholar of these disciplines and publishing his studies in the magazine "Capitolium", the organ of the Governorate. In 1933 a collection of Bottazzi's works was presented through this publication. The artist died in Rome in 1932.
