Amedeo Merello (Genoa, 1890 – Fumeri, 1979)
First Snows in the Dolomites of San Candido
Oil on canvas, 59 x 69 cm – with frame, 87 x 96 cm
Signed and dated lower left A. Merello San Candido 8/1927
The oil painting on canvas "First Snows in the Dolomites of San Candido" is a signed and dated work by Amedeo Merello, testifying to the artist's maturity, who skillfully interpreted the majesty of nature through a post-impressionist style of great sensitivity. In the painting, the viewer's eye is immediately drawn to the imposing mountain range dominating the background: here Merello uses impasto brushstrokes, dense and full-bodied, to convey the texture of the rocks and the freshness of the first snow settling into the rugged fissures of the Dolomite peaks. San Candido, located in Val Pusteria, in the heart of the Sesto Dolomites and in the shadow of the Baranci massif, offers the artist a scene of rare intensity, where the alpine light is calibrated with extreme precision. At the foot of the peaks, a dense coniferous forest acts as a link between the mineral ruggedness and rural life, characterized by a cluster of houses with sloping roofs and light-colored walls, rendered with soft touches that convey a sense of peace and isolation. Amedeo Merello was born in Genoa, in the Castelletto district, into a family of noble origins. His creative journey began far from academic institutions, initially drawing on the advice of his father, Marquis Marino Merello, and his great-uncle Luigi, an expert in engraving. Although his early works were marked by religious subjects and traditional figure drawings, the artist soon turned to painting from life, developing a predilection for landscapes that led him to skillfully study the chromatic variations of places. His talent manifested in his ability to adapt his palette to the geographical context: bright colors for the coasts of the Riviera and softer tones for the panoramas of Valpolcevera. His official debut was in 1912 at the Promotrice Torinese with two sketches of the port of Genoa, the same year he crossed national borders by participating in the Official Exhibition of Fine Arts in Santiago, Chile. His career is marked by consistent participation in important exhibitions in Genoa, Turin, and Savona, consolidating his fame through solo shows at historic galleries such as Vitelli, Rotta, Ranzini, and Galleria Guidi in Genoa, as well as the Galleria Permanente in Bergamo and Il Cenacolo. In 1968, he took part in the exhibition "Art and the Third World" in Genoa, while in 1985, Galleria Artetre dedicated a large posthumous retrospective to him. From 1938 onwards, Merello chose his holiday home in Fumeri, in the municipality of Mignanego, as his chosen refuge, where he lived in symbiosis with nature, painting landscapes and still lifes. Recognized for his merits with academic titles in Rome and Geneva, Merello is today represented in the Gallery of Modern Art in Genoa and in prestigious private collections, confirming himself as a central figure in the Ligurian and national art scene of the twentieth century.
