Pilade Bertieri: The Forgotten Italian Painter Who Conquered New York and London
Pilade Bertieri (1874–1965), who was the sibling of photographer Oreste and a companion of Giacomo Balla, initiated his artistic journey in Turin during the late 19th century. He received his education at the Accademia Albertina and Carrara Academy. At the age of 24, he made his debut at the Promotrice di Torino and was subsequently invited to the Venice Biennale. In 1900, 'Il conforto' was acquired by the Museo Civico di Torino. The following year, he showcased 'La nascita a casa del povero' at the Biennale. After relocating to New York in 1901, he gained recognition as a portrait artist. He wed Geneviève Wilson in 1906 and worked in Whistler's Chelsea studio. In 1920, he moved to Paris, became a Sociétaire de La Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1926, and switched to drawing after losing his sight in 1958. Beatrice Burati Anderson oversees his archive.
Key facts
- Pilade Bertieri (1874–1965) was a Turin-born painter, brother of photographer Oreste.
- He studied at Accademia Albertina under Giacomo Grosso and at Carrara Academy under Cesare Tallone.
- Debuted at Promotrice di Torino at age 24; invited to Venice Biennale in 1900 and 1901.
- Museo Civico di Torino acquired 'Il conforto' in 1900.
- Moved to New York in 1901; became a fashionable portraitist for high society.
- Married Geneviève Wilson, granddaughter of Washington Irving, in 1906.
- Relocated to London in 1909, working in Whistler's former Chelsea studio.
- Painted 'Ritratto in rosso' (1909) and 'Lady in black furs' (1912); the latter acquired by Walker Art Gallery in 1914.
- Moved to Paris in 1920; made Sociétaire de La Société Nationale des Beaux Arts in 1926.
- Stopped oil painting due to eye disease after 1932; focused on drawing.
- Moved to Rome in 1939; became completely blind in 1958.
- Archive curated by Beatrice Burati Anderson.
Entities
Artists
- Pilade Bertieri
- Oreste Bertieri
- Giacomo Balla
- Giacomo Grosso
- Cesare Tallone
- Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo
- Enrico Thovez
- Arturo Graf
- John Singer Sargent
- James Abbott McNeill Whistler
- Palma Bucarelli
- Giuseppe Boldini
- Washington Irving
- Sam Sothern
- E.K. Sothern
- Beatrice Burati Anderson
Institutions
- Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti
- Carrara Academy
- Promotrice di Torino
- Venice Biennale
- Museo Civico di Torino
- Emporium
- Walker Art Gallery
- Museo Boncompagni Ludovisi
- Galleria delle Terme
- La Société Nationale des Beaux Arts
- Salon de la Société des Beaux Arts
- Gam di Torino
- Artribune
Locations
- Turin
- Italy
- Bergamo
- Venice
- New York
- United States
- London
- United Kingdom
- Chelsea
- Paris
- France
- rue Ampère
- Rome
- via di Villa Sacchetti
- Liverpool