Achille Dovera (1838-1895) was an Italian painter hailing from Milan, a vibrant artistic hub during his lifetime. Active throughout the latter half of the 19th century, Dovera established himself primarily as a painter of landscapes and, to a lesser extent, figurative scenes. His works, executed in both oil and watercolor, found their way into various private collections and have appeared in auction catalogs, indicating a consistent, if not stellar, presence in the art market of his time and posthumously. While perhaps not as widely celebrated today as some of his more revolutionary contemporaries, Dovera's oeuvre offers valuable insight into the prevailing artistic tastes and practices in Lombardy and beyond during a period of significant cultural and national transformation in Italy.
The Artistic Milieu of 19th-Century Milan
To understand Achille Dovera's artistic journey, it is essential to consider the environment in which he developed. Milan in the 19th century was a city undergoing profound changes, both politically with the Risorgimento leading to Italian unification, and culturally. The Brera Academy (Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera) was the dominant artistic institution, traditionally fostering Neoclassical and Romantic ideals. However, as the century progressed, new artistic currents began to emerge, challenging academic conventions.
The mid-century saw the rise of movements like Realism across Europe, which found its Italian counterparts. In Lombardy, a particular strand of naturalism developed, often focusing on everyday life and the local landscape. Furthermore, Milan was the birthplace of the Scapigliatura movement in the 1860s and 1870s. This avant-garde group of painters, writers, and musicians, including artists like Tranquillo Cremona and Daniele Ranzoni, rebelled against academicism and bourgeois conventions, often exploring themes of introspection, emotion, and the ephemeral with a distinctive, almost dematerialized painting technique. While Dovera's known works do not directly align with the radicalism of the Scapigliatura, he would have undoubtedly been aware of their activities and the broader shift towards more personal and observational approaches to art.
Dovera's Focus: Landscapes and Nature
The core of Achille Dovera's artistic production appears to be landscape painting. This genre was immensely popular in the 19th century, fueled by Romantic sensibilities about the sublime power of nature, the burgeoning tourism industry, and a growing national pride in Italy's diverse and picturesque scenery. Dovera's landscapes seem to have encompassed a range of subjects, from tranquil Italian lakes to more exotic locales.
One of his significant works is Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore. This painting, recorded with dimensions of 65x100 cm and also as a 50x40 cm oil on paper, depicts one of the Borromean Islands in Lake Maggiore, a popular subject for artists due to its scenic beauty and Baroque palace and gardens. Such views catered to both local patrons and international visitors on the Grand Tour or its later iterations. The choice of Lake Maggiore situates Dovera within a long tradition of Lombard artists capturing the serene beauty of the Italian lake district, a tradition that included earlier masters and contemporaries.
Another notable landscape is Côtes du Maroc (Moroccan Coasts), a substantial oil on canvas measuring 61x106 cm. This work suggests Dovera, like many European artists of his time, ventured beyond Italy, drawn by the Orientalist fascination with North Africa. The allure of different light, exotic cultures, and unfamiliar terrains provided fresh inspiration. Artists such as Eugène Delacroix had earlier popularized North African subjects, and by Dovera's time, painters like Jean-Léon Gérôme or the Italian Alberto Pasini were well-known for their Orientalist scenes. Dovera's Côtes du Maroc would have aimed to capture the unique atmosphere and coastal features of this region.
His repertoire also included more intimate or pastoral scenes. Paesaggio con gregge (Landscape with flock), a smaller work at 15x24 cm, signed lower right, points to an interest in rural life and the harmonious integration of figures or animals within the landscape. This theme was common among naturalist painters who sought to depict the unadorned reality of the countryside. Such works often emphasized a sense of tranquility and connection to the land.
Seascapes and Coastal Scenes
Closely related to his landscapes are Dovera's marine paintings. Marina con barca e faro (Seascape with boat and lighthouse), a piece measuring 17x32 cm and dated 1878, signed lower right, exemplifies this aspect of his work. Lighthouses and boats are classic motifs in marine art, often symbolizing guidance, journey, or the human presence within the vastness of the sea. The date 1878 places this work firmly in his mature period.
The theme of fishermen and their activities also appears in his work. Pescatori con barche in secca (Fishermen with boats aground) and Barca e pescatori sull'isoletta (Boat and fishermen on the islet), the latter measuring 25x49 cm and signed lower right, further demonstrate his engagement with coastal life. These subjects allowed for the depiction of human labor in a natural setting, a theme explored by realist painters like Gustave Courbet in France and various Italian artists focusing on regional life. The rendering of boats, water, and the figures of fishermen would have required careful observation of light and form.
Figurative Compositions and Genre Elements
While predominantly a landscape artist, Dovera also incorporated figures into his scenes, sometimes making them central. Pittore sulla riva (Painter on the bank), another work from 1878, measuring 17x32 cm and signed lower right, is particularly interesting. It depicts an artist, perhaps a self-referential motif or a nod to the common practice of plein-air painting, which had gained significant traction by this period. The Impressionists in France were championing outdoor painting, and even more traditional landscape artists increasingly worked directly from nature. This painting could offer a glimpse into the artistic practices of the time.
The work titled Paesaggio con corso d'acqua, ruderi e ninfa bagno al fiume (Landscape with waterway, ruins, and nymph bathing in the river) is mentioned in auction records alongside Dovera's name, though it is attributed to Ambrogio Nava. This highlights the company Dovera's art kept in the market, often appearing with works by other contemporary Italian painters. If Dovera himself painted similar mythological or classical scenes integrated into landscapes, it would align with a persistent, albeit evolving, academic tradition that valued historical and mythological subjects.
Artistic Style and Technique
Based on the titles and descriptions of his works, Achille Dovera's style likely leaned towards a form of naturalism, characteristic of much 19th-century landscape painting. His works are consistently described as signed, usually in the lower right or left corner, a standard practice for asserting authorship. The mention of both oil on canvas and oil on paper, as well as watercolors, indicates versatility in his choice of media.
Oil on canvas was the preferred medium for finished exhibition pieces, allowing for rich colors and detailed rendering. Oil on paper might have been used for studies, smaller works, or pieces intended for a more modest market. Watercolors, with their transparency and immediacy, were well-suited for capturing fleeting effects of light and atmosphere, particularly in landscape and marine subjects. Artists like the English master J.M.W. Turner had elevated watercolor to a high art form, and its popularity continued throughout the 19th century.
Dovera's approach likely involved careful observation of nature, with an emphasis on capturing the specific qualities of light, atmosphere, and topography of the locations he depicted. Whether painting the placid waters of Lake Maggiore, the rugged Moroccan coast, or a pastoral Italian scene, the aim would have been a truthful yet aesthetically pleasing representation. His style was probably less radical than that of the Macchiaioli in Tuscany – artists like Giovanni Fattori, Telemaco Signorini, and Silvestro Lega – who were experimenting with a more synthetic approach to form and light through "macchie" (patches) of color. Dovera's work likely aligned more with the broader European tradition of realistic landscape painting, perhaps with romantic undertones depending on the subject.
Contemporaries and Artistic Context
Achille Dovera operated within a rich and diverse Italian art scene. In Milan and Lombardy, artists such as Filippo Carcano were prominent figures in Verismo (Italian Realism) landscape painting. Mosè Bianchi was another significant Lombard artist known for his genre scenes, portraits, and later, more impressionistic landscapes. The aforementioned Scapigliati, Tranquillo Cremona and Daniele Ranzoni, represented a more bohemian and experimental current.
Beyond Lombardy, the Italian art world was vibrant. The Macchiaioli in Florence were a key group. Artists like Giuseppe De Nittis and Federico Zandomeneghi, though Italian, found great success in Paris, absorbing and contributing to Impressionist currents. Antonio Fontanesi, active in Turin, was a highly influential landscape painter known for his lyrical and romantic depictions of nature. Further south, the School of Posillipo in Naples, with artists like Giacinto Gigante, had earlier established a strong tradition of picturesque landscape painting.
Dovera's works appearing in auction catalogs alongside those of Pompeo Calvi and Gaetano Fasanotti further situates him within this milieu of 19th-century Italian painters who catered to a market interested in landscapes, genre scenes, and views of Italy. These artists, while perhaps not always at the cutting edge of avant-garde experimentation, formed the backbone of artistic production, satisfying public demand and documenting the visual character of their era. Other notable Italian painters of the general period whose work might have shared some thematic or stylistic affinities, or at least represented the broader artistic landscape, include Gerolamo Induno and his brother Domenico Induno, known for their genre and Risorgimento-era scenes, and Giovanni Boldini, who, though primarily a portraitist, captured the Belle Époque with dazzling virtuosity.
Dovera's Works in the Art Market and Collections
The information available indicates that Achille Dovera's paintings have a continued presence in the art market, primarily through auctions. His works are found in various auction catalogs, such as those from ILPONTE CASA D'ASTE. For example, Côtes du Maroc was listed with an estimate of €12,000 to €15,000, suggesting a significant valuation for his larger or more important pieces. Other works, likely smaller or less prominent, would command prices ranging from hundreds to several thousands of euros, typical for competent academic or naturalist painters of his period whose fame is not at the highest echelon.
The mention of his work Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore being in the private collection of Galleria d'Arte Fogliato in Turin indicates that his paintings are held by specialist galleries and private collectors who appreciate 19th-century Italian art. The fact that his works are cataloged with details such as dimensions, medium, signature location, and condition (e.g., "stato di conservazione buono" for Paesaggio con gregge) is standard practice in the art market and helps in authenticating and valuing his pieces.
Legacy and Conclusion
Achille Dovera (1838-1895) was a diligent and skilled Italian painter who contributed to the rich tapestry of 19th-century art. Born in Milan, he specialized in landscapes, seascapes, and figurative scenes, capturing the beauty of Italian lakes, the allure of foreign shores like Morocco, and the charm of rural life. His works, executed in oil and watercolor, reflect the prevailing naturalist and romantic sensibilities of his time.
While not an avant-garde revolutionary in the vein of some of his contemporaries, Dovera was a competent professional who produced a body of work that found appreciation among patrons and collectors. His paintings, such as Isola Bella, Lago Maggiore, Côtes du Maroc, Marina con barca e faro, and Pittore sulla riva, offer valuable examples of late 19th-century Italian painting. He operated in an artistic environment that included diverse talents, from the Scapigliati in Milan to the Macchiaioli in Florence, and more mainstream academic and naturalist painters across Italy like Filippo Carcano, Mosè Bianchi, Pompeo Calvi, and Gaetano Fasanotti.
The continued presence of Achille Dovera's art in auctions and private collections today attests to a lasting, if modest, recognition of his skill and his contribution to documenting the visual culture of his era. His paintings serve as a window into the artistic tastes and preoccupations of 19th-century Italy, a period of profound national and cultural identity formation, where the depiction of the landscape held particular significance. As an art historian, recognizing the contributions of artists like Dovera is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the breadth and depth of art production beyond the most famous names, providing a fuller picture of the artistic ecosystem of the past.
