Lorenzo Viani was an Italian painter, engraver, writer, and poet, whose multifaceted talents and profound empathy for the marginalized and downtrodden of society left an indelible mark on the world of art and literature. Born on November 1, 1882, in Viareggio, Italy, Viani's early life was shaped by the contrasting experiences of comfort and hardship. His father, employed by Don Carlos of Bourbon, provided the family with a comfortable life at the Royal Villa in Viareggio. However, this stability was upended when his father lost his job, plunging the family into poverty. Despite only attending the first three grades of elementary school, Viani's education was far from conventional. His introspective nature led him to wander the beaches and woods, and his work as a helper in Fortunato Primo Puccini's barbershop exposed him to a cross-section of society. These encounters with people from all walks of life deeply influenced his artistic perspective. Before he began drawing the unkempt faces of his subjects, he would handle them with his hands, a tactile approach that informed his visceral style. Encouraged by the painter Plinio Nomellini, whom he met in the barbershop, Viani enrolled at the Institute of Fine Arts in Lucca. There, he studied from 1900 to 1903, meeting fellow artist Moses Levy and becoming involved in anarchist and socialist politics. His political activism led to his arrest and imprisonment alongside other anarchists. In 1904, Viani was accepted at the Free School for Drawing Nudes at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, where he studied under Giovanni Fattori and continued to demonstrate a clear intolerance for academic disciplines. Viani's artistic journey took him to Paris between 1908 and 1909, where he experienced both economic hardship and loneliness, as well as rewarding artistic encounters. His time in Paris was a formative period, allowing him to cross paths with notable figures such as Picasso and to visit the retrospective of Van Gogh. The city's influence on his work was profound, as he developed a style characterized by strong color impressions, decisive brushstrokes, and an intense, expressive melancholy. Upon returning to Italy, Viani's disdain for social gatherings and reluctance to form significant associations did not hinder his success. He participated in various exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale, and his work began to gain recognition. His art was deeply empathetic, often focusing on the lives and struggles of the poor, the mentally ill, and the outcasts. This empathy extended to his writing, where he employed the dialect of Versilia and Lucca to convey lyrical fervor. Viani's personal life was marked by a series of moves and significant events. He married Giulia Giorgietti in 1919, and the couple moved to Montecatini, where Viani painted his tender series of Scolaretti. They later returned to Viareggio, where Viani continued to exhibit his work and engage in writing. His son Franco was born in 1925, and throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Viani's career flourished, with his exhibits attracting learned and international art lovers. Despite suffering from severe asthma attacks, which led to periods of hospitalization, Viani's creative output remained prolific. He was drawn to the mental patients at the psychiatric hospital of Nozano, near Lucca, just as he had been to the poor of Viareggio. His final years were spent working on a series of paintings for Ostia College, but he tragically died from an asthma attack on November 2, 1936, in Lido di Ostia, before he could attend the inauguration. Viani's legacy is preserved in the Galleria d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Viareggio, which holds the largest collection of his works, including his undisputed masterpiece, 'Benedizione dei morti del mare.' His impact on the cultural and intellectual boom in Tuscany is celebrated, and his ability to convey tragedy, pity, poetry, and empathy through his art makes him a master often forgotten but deeply revered. His works, characterized by their expressionist nature, continue to resonate with audiences, reflecting the human condition with a raw and poignant honesty.

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