Atanasio Soldati was a pivotal figure in the development of abstract art in Italy, whose career spanned the first half of the 20th century. Born on August 24, 1896, in Parma, Italy, Soldati initially pursued a career in architecture, studying at the Accademia di Belle Arte in his hometown until 1920. His architectural background would later influence his artistic work, which is characterized by a strong sense of structure and spatial composition. In the early 1920s, after completing his studies, Soldati practiced as an architect and taught drawing. His artistic journey began in earnest when he moved to Milan in the mid-1920s. It was here that he encountered the burgeoning abstract art movement, meeting fellow abstractionists Mario Radice and Mauro Reggiani. This encounter marked a turning point in Soldati's career, as he began to move away from his purist figurative work and towards abstraction. Soldati's first solo exhibition took place in 1931 at the Galleria del Milione in Milan, a venue that was central to the promotion of avant-garde art in Italy. This exhibition was a significant milestone for Soldati, as it exposed him to the works of Cubism and the art of Fernand Léger. The influence of these styles is evident in his subsequent work, which features harmonious geometric shapes and a liberation of the image from any adherence to reality. Soldati believed that lines, shapes, and colors could express human feelings with great freedom, without the need for representational forms. After 1933, Soldati made a decisive shift away from figurative painting, embracing a style of subtle pure geometry. His work from this period shows the influence of artists like Piet Mondrian and Wassily Kandinsky, but also retains a unique clarity and order that is distinctly his own. Soldati's paintings from the mid-1930s introduced new lyrical themes and colors, reflecting the impact of Paul Klee on his compositions. During World War II, between 1943 and 1945, Soldati's artistic activities were interrupted as he joined the Italian Resistance. After the war, he returned to art with renewed vigor and founded the Movimento Arte Concreta (M.A.C.) in 1948, along with Bruno Munari, Gillo Dorfles, and Gianni Monnet. The M.A.C. was a group that advocated for the independence of visual elements from objectivity, embracing a non-figurative language that allowed for various possibilities within the realm of abstract art. Soldati's post-war work is characterized by a cooling of the color palette and a simplification of formal elements. His compositions from this period often feature overlapping inlays and imaginative stresses that are musically expressed, balancing chromatic and sign elements. In the last years of his life, Soldati continued to innovate and refine his abstract style. Throughout his career, Soldati was recognized as one of the pioneers of abstract art in Italy. He was invited to exhibit at prestigious events such as the Rome Art Quadrennial in 1936 and the post-war Venice Art Biennials in 1948, 1950, and 1952. His work has been featured in numerous key galleries and museums, including Robilant+Voena in London, and has been offered at auction with realized prices ranging from modest to over a hundred thousand dollars. Atanasio Soldati passed away on August 27, 1953, in his native city of Parma. His legacy lives on through his contributions to the abstract art movement and his influence on subsequent generations of artists. His work continues to be celebrated and studied for its innovative approach to form, color, and composition, and for its role in shaping the course of modern art in Italy.

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