Mario Cavaglieri

Mario Cavaglieri was born in 1887 in Rovigo to a wealthy Jewish family originally from Venice. From 1900 to 1907, he lived in Padua where he completed high school and frequented the studio of Giovanni Vianello, through which he met Felice Casorati. In 1909, he participated in an exhibition at Ca’ Pesaro and went on to exhibit there in 1910, 1912 (with nineteen works), 1913, and 1925.

In 1911, Cavaglieri took his first trip to Paris and subsequently participated in several Venice Biennales from 1912 to 1924, and in other editions until 1957. It was during this time that he met Giulietta Catellini, who became his wife in 1921 and the inspiration for many of his works. Critics consider his most creative years to be between 1909 and 1925.

Cavaglieri lived in both the Veneto region and Rome, where he held a solo show in 1919 at the Casa Cagiati with Hans Stoltenberg-Lerche, attracting the attention of Robert Longhi. His next solo show in 1920, held at the Galleria Pesaro in Milan with Hans Stoltenberg-Lerche and Alberto Martini, was presented in a catalogue by Vittorio Pica.

After living in Piacenza from 1922 to 1925, Cavaglieri moved to the Peyloubère district of Gascony in Auch, France, near Pavie-sur-Gers. From 1925 to 1940, he alternated between stays in Gascony and Paris. After returning to Italy during World War II, Cavaglieri went back to France, frequently visiting Paris. He exhibited at several shows in France, including the Salon d’Automne (from 1926), Salon des Indépendents (from 1927), Salon des Artistes Méridionaux in Toulouse (from 1929), and Salon des Artistes Gascons in Auch (from 1949).