Giuseppe Pastina

Biography

Giuseppe Pàstina was born in Andria 1863. After his initial education, he was initiated by his parents into legal studies. At the same time, however, he cultivated his passion for the art of painting, following the teachings of master Domenico Morelli and Giovanni del Re.

Participation in national exhibitions and painting from life

Even before graduating, he made his debut at the Promotrice in Naples in 1886 with the work Abbandono (Abandonment), while in Bologna, he presented Ritratto del signor Porziotta (Portrait of Mr Porziotta), thanks to which he won numerous plaudits. In 1926, he was again at a national exhibition presenting the work Olivi at the exhibition of the Società degli Amatori e Cultori di Belle Arti in Rome.

In Trani he took part in the Exhibition of Work in 1891 exhibiting Tamburello, two Portraits, a Study and a Self-portrait. In 1894, in collaboration with Carlo Curci, he executed the wall decorations in the drawing room of Palazzo Discanno, also in Trani, which show Morelli’s influence.

Between portraits, landscapes and sacred subjects

The painter executed his paintings by studying from life, and made numerous trips between Abruzzo, Umbria and Lazio, thanks to which he came into contact with different genres and received many stimuli, moving from early portraiture to landscape and sacred painting.

He also worked as a restorer of ancient works of art, assisting the archaeologist Giacomo Boni in the restoration of the Palatine. In 1911, he also supervised the creation of the Apulian Pavilion for the Universal Exhibition in Rome.

Fame in Apulia

A little-known author today, he was very successful at the time, becoming a point of reference for Apulian culture, so much so that even Pietro Mascagni was his guest when he came to Apulia.

His works can be found in some national collections: twelve of his works are in the Pinacoteca Corrado Giaquinto in Bari; other works, such as the painting Rocca Minore – Assisi of 1914, is in the collection of the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Moderna in Rome. One of his best-known paintings is Veduta di Roma da Monte Mario (View of Rome from Monte Mario), which was sold at Sotheby’s Auction in London in 2006.

During his career he also worked on architecture, designing a sepulchral monument in the historic cemetery of Andria.

He died in Rome in 1942, at the age of sixty-nine.

Emanuela Di Vivona