Antonio Calderara, born in 1903 in Abbiategrasso, Italy, was a self-taught artist whose work spanned from figurative to abstract, capturing the essence of light and space through his unique vision. Growing up in Milan, Calderara's early influences were diverse, drawing from Post-impressionism, Renaissance art, and the Il Novecento Italiano group. Despite beginning his academic journey in engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Calderara abandoned his studies in 1925 to fully dedicate himself to art, a decision that marked the beginning of his lifelong commitment to exploring color, form, and light. Calderara's early work was predominantly figurative, experimenting with color and form through still lifes, portraits, and landscapes. These pieces often drew inspiration from Milanese canals and local churches, capturing the people, objects, and atmosphere of his local environment. A significant shift in his work occurred after he moved to Lake Orta in Vacciago in 1934, where the mesmerizing light reflections on the water became a central theme of his art. This fascination with light led to the development of delicate painting techniques that allowed Calderara to portray the subtle interplay of light and space, a theme that would persist throughout his career. By the mid-1950s, Calderara began to transition from figurative painting to a more geometric and abstract approach. This period is characterized by a radical reduction in the scale and compositional elements of his paintings, employing a vocabulary of lines, squares, and a refined color palette. Despite this shift, Calderara's work remained deeply rooted in the representation of light, now expressed through minimal forms and a softer form of abstraction. His first fully abstract painting, "Quadrati e Rettangoli" (1959), marked a definitive move towards abstraction, employing the velatura technique to achieve a translucent varnish effect. Calderara's abstract work, particularly from the late 1950s and 1960s, is noted for its geometric abstraction combined with an atmospheric finish, achieving a misty quality through subtle variations in color. This period of his career is what he is best known for, with his paintings often compared to those of abstract artists such as Josef Albers or Piet Mondrian, both of whom Calderara greatly admired. Despite his admiration for these artists, Calderara maintained a unique and autonomous expression, difficult to categorize within well-defined artistic movements. Throughout his life, Calderara remained an enigmatic figure, leading a secluded life in Northern Italy and drawing inspiration from the lighting of nearby landscapes, especially Lake Orta. His work is included in the collections of prestigious museums and galleries worldwide, and he has been featured in solo and group exhibitions internationally. Following his death in 1978, the Antonio and Carmela Calderara Foundation was established to preserve the artist's former home, studio, and personal artwork collection, showcasing a range of Calderara's paintings alongside works by abstract artists from around the world. Calderara's legacy is that of an artist who sought to capture the essence of light and space through geometric abstraction, creating a body of work that resonates with a timeless quality. His exploration of minimal forms and subtle color variations has left an indelible mark on the world of abstract art, making Antonio Calderara a significant figure in the history of 20th-century Italian art.

Antonio Calderara Quotes and Sales of Works

Ponti Art Gallery selects and deals with paintings by the artist. Upon request, we provide free estimates and evaluations, communicate prices, quotations, and current market values.

If you are interested in BUYING or SELLING works by the artist, contact us immediately.

If you wish to sell or receive an evaluation of the works:

Send us a frontal photo of the painting, one of the back, and one of the signature. Also, indicate the dimensions of the work. Inform us about the purchase origin of the work and any kind of available documentation (purchase receipts, certificates of authenticity, publications). One of our operators will respond to you on the same day. We guarantee maximum confidentiality and extreme professionalism.

If you wish to purchase works by the painter: Contact us and let us know your request. We will inform you about the available works. We also offer the possibility to subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, through which you will be informed at the beginning of each month about the latest acquisitions of the art gallery.

You can send us pictures of the work:

• by mail –>  [email protected]
• by WhatsApp –> +39 3205747749