Giovanni Colombo

Giovanni Colombo, also known as Giovanni da Busnago because of his town of origin, was born in the Lombardy town in 1908. There is no record of his enrolment at the Academy, so he most likely trained as a self-taught artist and in the 1930s he made his debut in a number of exhibitions in Rome, such as a first solo exhibition held at Palazzo Torlonia in 1932.

In his works, the artist depicts Parisian and Venetian atmospheres, but it is above all the city of Milan, its monuments and views that are the undisputed protagonists of his production, restoring the most characteristic corners with spontaneity and pictorial vivacity.

The painter remains faithful to a naturalistic language that derives from post-impressionist painting; in fact, he paints from life, making himself the interpreter of a synthetic and material brushstroke, conveying the idea of the immediacy of the impression, creating various snapshots of life.

An artist who is present at auctions for small oils on canvas late in his career has prices around €100, while the 2010 auction record is €2,100 for a 1940 Roman view with dense colour impasto.