Franco Tardonato - Maternity

The iconography of motherhood is closely linked to the subject of the Madonna and Child. It is probably one of the most popular iconographies in the history of both Western and Eastern art. The Madonna and Child appears since the dawn of medieval painting and remained a constant subject as long as religious themes dominated artistic production (that is, until the 19th century, when themes inspired by everyday life began to be introduced). It is quite common for contemporary artists to treat the iconography of motherhood without directly linking it to the Christian religion.

In his etchings, artist Franco Tardonato always strikes a perfect balance between naturalistic rendering and expressionism. The subject's physiognomy is captured objectively, with concrete, plastic clarity. The artist's technique is extraordinary in capturing the sensory details of faces with extreme fidelity. At the same time, Tardonato imbues the representation with a powerfully lyrical and expressive quality. This is evident in the way the subjects merge with the space and how the masses of hair become a pure pictorial vibration that enhances the artist's gestures.

Franco Tardonato was born in Varese in 1938. He debuted with a solo exhibition in his hometown in 1961. In the 1970s, he held numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Italy. His works were exhibited at the Galleria Nazionale di Grafica in Naples and in art galleries in Brussels, Zurich, Lugano, and St. Moritz, as well as in the province of Milan and the municipalities of Milan, Bergamo, Legnano, and Campobasso. He passed away in Varese in 1984, and posthumous exhibitions were held in his honor at the Galleria La Giostra in Asti that same year, the Galleria Prevosti in 1995, and the Chiostro di Voltorre in 1997.

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