Vittorio Trainini

Born in Mompiano – Brescia on the 6 th of March in 1888, Vittorio Trainini trod in his oncle Giuseppe’s footsteps, who was a well-known “ bresciano “ decorator, and from whom Vittorio learns, straight on the scaffoldings and in the workscops, the art of the fresco, maturing an autonomous personality and increasing a particular turn for figure painting.
Substantially his formation was autodidactic.
After attending the “ Communal Drawing School “ Moretto “ in Brescia, he enlarges his horizon over the personal study of the great masters of the past in museums, churches and art-galleries, especially in Rome where he attends the nude school in Ripetta Street and where he gains Spedini’s, Carena’s, Zanelli’s and other artists’ friendship.
He begins winning in 1910 the competition for the figurative execution of a room in the Lombard pavilion of the “ Esposizione delle Regioni Italiane “ in Rome.
In 1913 he is in Mantova called. by arch. Andreani, for the decoration of the new Chamber of Commerce.
He also begins to paint for ecclesiastic committee. This will be, later, his main source of activity frescoing more than one hundred churches, a lot in Brescia, Province and other towns and cities.
For a few years he teaches at “ Scuola Beato Angelico “ in Milan.
Developing, at the same time, painting, sculpture and architecture, he plans and superintends the building of the churches of S. Rocco in Concesio, S. Biagio in Soprazocco, of Cappuccini Church in Brescia and the house of uncle Giuseppe in Brescia.
He executes cartoons for the ligneous works of art, cartoons for fabrics and liturgical vestments; he plans windows and mosaic floors, wrought iron besides a large quantity of oil paintings ( portraits, landscapes and still lives ). He is engaged in graphic activity with some publishers, among which the “ Morcelliana “ in Brescia for the preparation of “ I Santi Evangeli “.
Interesting his preparatory studies for the execution of the frescoes in churches constituted by drawings from life, sketches of painting and cartoons.
The graphic elaboration from nature ( rocks, trees, clouds, painted stones ) has kindled a particular interest. Especially these interpretations made the well-known historian of art Federico Zeri writes as follows:
“ The works of Vittorio Trainini are in the specific background, really remarkable and curious. Then very interesting, is the connection to natural products for successive formal elaborations, a course which is connected with a very ancient tradition. I have to add that this Kind of production, especially the sacred ones, is still too near to our days and that our eyes are still too conditioned by the taste of Avant-gardes to be impartially valued. The right moment for an impartial reading will soon come”.
From the thirties he paints frescoes in numerous Churches: To be remembered the cycles of production in Edolo, Bagnolo Mella, Bovegno, Carpenedolo, Concesio, Pompiano, Pievedizio, Nave, Clusane, Calvagese, Sabbio Chiese, Isorella, S. Colombano al Lambro, Paderno Ponchielli and in Brescia in the Centro Pastorale Paolo VI, in the “ Cappella del Vescovado “ and in the churches of S. Francesco da Paola, Ss. Sacramento and Cristo Re (Borgo Trento).
In 1936, after winning two international competions, he begins the decoration in the Basilica of S. Cuore in Lugano (CH ) that will be completed after the war between 1947 and 1951.The exsecution of this important cycle of frescoes was commented with essays of various art critics, such as Servolini, Barth, Charles du Mont.
In 1951 he is in Rome to decorate the Cappella della Guardia Palatina in Vaticano where scenes of the life of S. Pietro are represented in three great frescoes.
For his artistic activity he was awarded “ Cavaliered dell’ Ordine di S. Silvestro “, in 1936 Accademico Virtuoso d’onore dell’Accademia dei Virtuosi al Pantheon in Rome and in 1945 he becomes active member of the Ateneo di Brescia.
One of his latest frescoes is the decoration of the apse and transept in the parish church of Lumezzane S. Sebastiano ( 1956 ).
Vittorio Trainini died on the 19 th of August 1969 in his house in Mompiano (Brescia).