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GUGLIELMO STRACCA
1889-1979
"I do not change....I do not go as the times go and I am always tied up to a style which does not know an end ... and the public confirms this to me. I continue to feel as a humble pupil in front of the nature which is the best teacher...." Guglielmo Stracca has a a nice smile, when one talks about his art, his blue eyes are shining . With his snowy white hair and his healthy face he looks like a vigorous man of seventy. Now when I am talking to him he is very close to 90, but ,does not impress him very much: "One must not put limits to the fate". He goes around the rooms of his apartment in via Monfort 10, in a very agile way ,and he continues: "I did not have time to yawn and I did not lose much time ; during my working life I engaged myself to the maximum because the paintings are for an artist his spiritual sons and the mirror of his soul. My paintings are my sons , even in some cases when I was not completely satisfied with them, and this can happen sometimes to an artist who works with good conscience.
The paintings of this artist have been criticized especially after the war from some younger artists who were following the new ideas. The traditional methods of Stracca with miniaturized particulars were considered old fashion and decadent. I avoid to qyarrel with people who criticize my way of painting: "Painting is a spiritual work . I do not interfere in the way others are interpreting the nature . .It is evident that he been accepted: During his very long working life he has painted many large and normal size works: "My paintings are in many parts of the world from Europe to America, South Africa, Australia and New Zeland and every painting is for me a souvenir, a son which I hope will be well cared of."
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The paintings of G. Stracca were in
many personal and collective art exhibitions national and foreign: His
paintings are in several museums for instance one painting is at the
museum Revoltella of Trieste. G.Stracca was born in Gradisca d'Isonzo
in May 1889.He lived in Vienna from 1915 to1929 where he painted successfully.
. In the Austrian capital he attended the Accademy of Art and exposed
his paintings in several exhibitions . In Vienna he had his definite
education , his particular vision of the nature and his precise way
of painting to which he remained faithful for all his life: An art critic
has written:"an endless love for the aspect of the nature" ,and then
:"Stracca uses his certain capability to represent an idilliac and sincere
vision of reality with great care of the particulars also. "In autumn
1929 G.Stracca returned to Trieste. After that he has received several
prizes on Art exhibitions in Trieste, Rome and other places. Guglielmo
Stracca stuck to his style and worked hard .He took great care in his
job and he learned by narure. He did not care if he lost time during
the assiduous search of the particulars, of the details ' through which
the rappresentation of the nature which becomes learning and love, as
he was saying.
After his return to Trieste from Vienna he always worked hard and exposed
in all Europe. He has worked from the reality and his mountains, moons
and marine nights have been always very requested especially from the
lovers of the mountains and of the nature. The style of Stracca is different
from all the others. The artist succeeds in giving to every landscape
such an atmosphere of dream which differentiates it from other kind
of landscapes . A critic said: " The games of the lights and waters
provoke surrealistic effects giving to the paintings a dream light effect.
Guglielmo Stracca had for the last time one personal exhibition in November
1972, in the city council Gallery of Trieste: There were about 30 paintings
and an exceptional affluence of visitors. All the paintings were sold.
A critic, speaking about the extraordinary success of that manifestation,
wrote that "Stracca has conscience of the relationships between things
in nature and in the world, between the men. He represents these relationships
because he follows the principle to operate well, with convincing effects,
without astuteness. Principle which is not always comfortable to follow".
After this last exhibition, the artist has slowed down a lot iof his
production also because of some troubles with the sight. This gentleman
of other times, affable, of a natural courtesy, lived in his own world
satisfied. He has seen slowly to go many friends and colleagues to whom
he was tied up by affections and ways to behave. One of this friends
was Lucano, "a great artist, a founder of a new school, with whom he
never had a contrast". Stracca was a quite man, and has lived intensely
"a long magical moment".
Pierina Buda-Stracca
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