59 - Pier Giorgio Fabbri (20th century)

Pier Giorgio Fabbri (20th century) The Deity of the Enchanted Forest Acrylic on canvas 90 x 80 cm Signature: “Fabbri Pier Giorgio” on the reverse Other inscriptions: “’The Deity of the Forest’ acrylic 90 × 80” and the artist’s address Provenance: Veneto Banca SpA in LCA Condition. Support: 95% Condition. Surface: 95% For direct WhatsApp assistance before and during the live auction: +39 346 12 999 80 // Direct assistance via WhatsApp before and during the auction: +39 346 12 999 80 Up for auction is an example of artistic chiaroscuro watermark—the date refers to the preparation of the matrix—created by Annarita Librari for the historic Cartiera Miliani paper mill in Fabriano, based on Picasso’s famous “Demoiselles d’Avignon.” As the artist herself—daughter of watermark artist Franco Librari—recalls, “With Giuseppe Miliani (1816–1890), grandson of Pietro (1744–1817), founder of the Miliani company, the paper mill expanded; drawing paper established itself as the finest—so much so that it won an award at the 1851 London Exhibition—and security paper began to be the Fabriano factory’s specialty. By the time of Giuseppe’s death, the paper mill was already a large complex, but it would be his son Giambattista (1856–1937) who would carry out the actual transformation from an artisanal to an industrial enterprise (...). Giambattista combined technical expertise with a broad vision of industrial organization, thanks to the frequent trips he took—beginning at a very young age—to various European countries and North America. In 1889, he received the Legion of Honor for presenting the finest watermarks for banknotes at the Paris Exposition. Even before this recognition in Paris, there was genuine enthusiasm for Fabriano’s watermarks. In 1886, Ernst Kirchner of Frankfurt am Main wrote: “Your watermarked papers are the most beautiful I have ever seen. Ever since I’ve owned these truly artistic sheets, I no longer even dare to look at similar products from Germany. The portraits, as well as the details that adorn them, are of admirable, perfect finesse and now form the centerpiece of this modest collection that I cherish with great pride.” (Annarita Librari, “Once Upon a Time… Artistic Watermark in Chiaroscuro”). The history of the Miliani paper mill was reconstructed by Bruno Bravetti in the monograph “Giambattista Miliani,” Affinità Elettive, 2010.