Giovanni Cavalleri Biography
CAVALLERI GIOVANNI known as IL RANA Cavalleri was born in Sabbio on 12 April 1858 to Faustino and Giovanna Bona. In 1871 he enrolled at the Carrara Academy and remained there until 1880. In this period he made two study trips to Rome in the company of his friend Rinaldo Agazzi. Pupil of Scuri with whom he had a stormy coexistence made up of critical judgments and contemptuous responses for a painting, that of Cavalleri, which was too realistic even if talented. In 1985 he was involved, with other artists, in the trial for the damage to certain cartoons by Scuri. Between 1988 and 1990 he began his activity as a fresco artist which led him to paint in many churches including Sovere, Seriate, Pianca (fraction of San Giovannui Bianco), Parre, Olda in Val Taleggio, Cassiglio, Sedrina, Mapello, San Pellegrino, Osio Sopra, and others. Cavalleri carried out his most important work in Bracca and Ponte Nossa, where the artist reached his peak and where the influence of sixteenth and eighteenth century painters shines through. In fact, Cavalleri is better known as a great painter of frescoes but he did not disdain portraiture with excellent results, painting friends, relatives and admirers. His mature portrait is that of an amiable old gentleman with crew cut, broad forehead and superb moustache, starched collar and white tie, all with a dove-grey hat. Giovanni Cavalleri died in Bergamo in 1934.
