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Mario Cavaglieri
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Italian painters', Mario Cavaglieri was born in Rovigo, Italy in 1887 of a
wealthy Jewish family. He trained as a painter and by the age of 20 was
already holding exhibitions of his work. In 1911 he met Giulietta who was
to be his model, his inspiration and ten years later, his wife. In
1925, for reasons he preferred to keep to himself, Cavaglieri moved to France
where he purchased the Domaine de Peyloubčre, only leaving for a period during
the war when, as a Jew and an Italian, he felt a vulnerability which led him
back to his roots and family. He returned to France in 1946 and died
peacefully at Peyloubčre in 1969. |
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Cavaglieri's painting is characterized by bold
brush strokes and a firm skill with line and design. Whether the subject
is decadent and bourgeois, as in his early years, or nature bathed in sunlight,
as in his later life at Peyloubčre, his colours are vivid, pure and
dramatic. Better known in Italy and the United States, the works of
Cavaglieri have nevertheless been exhibited in France on several occasions and
his personal collection, recently left to the Mairie of Auch, now forms the
basis of a permanent exhibition in the town. The exhibition includes
several paintings of Peyloubčre including the waterfall, the Venetian bedroom
and a tea party in the original dining room in the South West wing of the Manoir.
Just as Cavaglieri recorded the terraces and
gardens, salons and inhabitants of Peyloubčre on canvas, so too he imprinted his
own history, philosophy and passion upon the house itself. He literally
painted the house, and the ceilings, walls and cupboards of the Manoir are alive
with his imaginative paintings full of allegory, myth and symbols and scenes
reflecting his Italian origin and inspiration.
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The Cavaglieri Suite
It it in these rooms that we have created the 'Cavaglieri
Suite' which was previously the bedroom, bathroom and salon occupied by Mario
and Giulietta. The ceilings are remarkable and the rooms have been
decorated and furnished to make the most of the paintings while at the same time
ensuring the comfort of our guests. The pictures shown on this page are all taken
from the ceilings of the Cavaglieri Suite. With the encouragement and
financial support of the French State, the ceilings were fully restored
during 2001/2 and the house is now often visited by interested groups and was
part of the 'Journées de Patrimoine' for the first time in 2005, receiving
almost 200 visitors over the two day celebration of french history and patrimony. For further details of the Cavaglieri Suite, click on Chambre
d'hôte.
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Latest Exhibition
From February to June 2007 a major
exhibition of Cavaglieri's work was held in Rovigo, Italy when 150 pictures were
on
display in the gallery that now occupies part of the building in which he was
born. It was then transferred to Milan where it stayed until the end of the
year.
If you are interested in further information on
art in general, we suggest that you look at www.arts-directory.org,
an architectural web directory.
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