Paolo Rubbioli Biography
Paolo Rubboli was born in Fiorenzuola di Focara in the province of Pesaro in 1838. Everything regarding his life is not very clear, but we know that he arrived in Gualdo Tadino around 1875 and reintroduced the gold and ruby luster technique of the tradition of Mastro Giorgio Andreoli. Not yet thirty years old, Rubboli began working as a ceramist, although we know nothing about his training in this field. In 1875, he founded a factory of "Artistic Majolica for use in Urbino, Faenza and Gubbio" together with the Piedmontese antique dealer Marcello Galli Dunn. Subsequently, he created his own factory together with his third wife Daria Vecchi, also a ceramist from Fabriano. The Rubboli factory made use of the collaboration of skilled painters, who created various majolica items, including parade plates, services, albarelli and lamps, painted in bleu de Sèvres on stanniferous enamel and glazed in gold and ruby. The most frequent subjects represented were scenes from ancient history and effigies of illustrious men and famous artists, in line with the trend of Historicism, very fashionable in the decorative arts of the nineteenth century. Paolo Rubboli died in 1890, but his activity was continued by his wife and children, until today by the great-grandson of the famous ceramist.
