Betto Tesei: The Proust of Painting Rediscovered in Jesi

Benedetto Tesei, known as Betto (Jesi, 1898-1953), was a painter from a wealthy family who lived in the family palace, Palazzo Pianetti in Jesi. Encouraged by his father Aristide, he studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Urbino under Luigi Scorrano, a pupil of Domenico Morelli. He moved to Rome around 1918 and participated in the 93rd Esposizione di Giovane Arte Picena in 1926. In Rome, he deepened his study of xylography with friend Adolfo De Carolis. After his father's death in 1932, he returned to Jesi and married Gianna Pagliarani in 1934. His paintings, described by curator Roberto Cresti as 'interior windows,' capture a world suspended between past and present, filled with ancestral memories. He socialized with artists like Mariano Agostinelli, Pietro Novelli, and Corrado Corradi junior. His rare but prestigious exhibitions include the Quadriennale in 1935 and the Venice Biennale in 1940. Curator Simona Cardinali notes his 'sentimental inclination toward things and people portrayed.' The 2018 exhibition 'Novecento quotidiano' at Palazzo Pianetti Tesei, curated by Cresti and Cardinali, restored his talent to public view.