Michele Cascella

Michele Cascella, born in Ortona (Chieti) on September 7, 1892, and deceased in Milan on August 31, 1989, was one of the most important Italian crepuscular painters and landscape artists of the 20th century. Coming from an artistic family, he learned his first techniques from his father Basilio, founder of a dynasty that marked Italian art history. As a young man, together with his brother Tommaso, he debuted in 1907 at the “Famiglia Artistica” in Milan, showing early talent as a colorist. In 1909, he exhibited for the first time in Paris, updating his style to post-impressionist trends, and in the following years, he frequented Marinetti, Boccioni, and Margherita Sarfatti in Milan, approaching divisionism without ever abandoning his personal touch[7][9].

Cascella’s career spanned almost eight decades, during which he maintained a unique, unmistakable style, largely immune to the influences of the avant-garde movements of the century. His works—including canvases, panels, pastels, drawings, lithographs, chromolithographs, serigraphs, and etchings—are exhibited in numerous Italian and international museums, such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Galerie nationale du Jeu de Paume in Paris, the National Museum of History and Art in Luxembourg, the Musée d’Art Moderne in Brussels, and the De Saisset Art Gallery at Santa Clara University in California[1].

Cascella is best known for his pleasant marine and urban views, delicate female portraits, flowers, still lifes, wheat and poppy fields, Abruzzo and Ligurian landscapes—especially Portofino. From 1928 to 1942, he was invited every year to the Venice Biennale, obtaining a personal room in 1942. In the 1930s, he often used watercolor to capture serene views and cityscapes, exhibiting in London, Paris, and Brussels, and becoming one of the most beloved painters by the general public[5]. In 1937, he won the gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, and in 1934, the Princess of Piedmont commissioned him to create a series of paintings on the landscapes of southern Italy[5].

In addition to painting, Cascella dedicated himself to ceramics, set design, and graphic arts, contributing to the revival of Italian decorative art. A member of the “Incisori d’Italia,” he participated in the most important national and international exhibitions, including the Biennali di Brera, the Quadriennali Romane, and the Triennali di Monza. His works are now held in major public and private collections in Italy and abroad, and continue to be sought after in the art market, including through auction houses such as Cambi[1][9].