Claudio Giulianelli

What the artist says about his work

Speaking about my painting is a delicate exercise — understanding how the figures populating my canvases are born and take shape is a constant quest. My love for ancient art was born in my childhood, during summers spent in Porto Ercole,
Tuscany. The old fishermen there told the legend of Caravaggio’s death: they said that on certain full moon nights, one could see him galloping on horseback along the shore of Cala Galera.

This painter marked me to my core, right into my DNA. I began studying his works one by one, analyzing every composition and every detail of his technique. Then, one day during an art class at school, I noticed a poster about Belgium hanging behind my teacher. In a corner was a detail of a painting by Hieronymus Bosch.

I was stunned. I thought he was a contemporary painter, so modern did this surrealist vein seem to me while conveying ancient knowledge. His way of depicting a man with a fish head fascinated me. His magical and hermetic world opened up to me, penetrating my skin and my mind.

Biographie

Born in Rome in 1956, Claudio Giulianelli initially set out to study chemistry before his all-consuming passion for traditional art took over. As a passionate self-taught artist, he analysed in detail the masterpieces of the Flemish masters (Hieronymus Bosch, Jan van Eyck, Pieter Bruegel the Elder) and of the Italian Baroque. His regular visits to Roman churches and museums enabled him to study the use of light and texture in Caravaggio’s work.

His artistic development was enriched through his contact with painters such as Delfo Previtali, Guido Razzi and Armando De Stefano, as well as through his travels throughout Europe to admire the great masters.

In 1992, he set up his studio in Corchiano, a village in the province of Viterbo with ancient origins. As co-founder of the Mega Art association and gallery, he is now represented by several international galleries, notably in England (Sulis Fine Art) and China (Art Bank).

Career & Exhibitions (Selection)

A strong international presence

Claudio Giulianelli enjoys global recognition through exhibitions, art fairs and private sales organised around the world (Italy, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, France, Monaco, Austria, Colombia, Turkey and Australia).

A selection of solo exhibitions:
- 2023: Lojelo Gallery (Volterra) and Maison D’Art (Padua, Italy)
- 2017: Espace Art Gallery (Brussels, Belgium) and Manni Art Gallery (Venice, Italy)
- 2015: The Montage Art Gallery (London, United Kingdom)
- 2013: Art Hub (Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) — Artist residency
- 2011 : Redstar Cultural Center (Hangzhou / Shanghai, Chine)
Art fairs, biennials and major events (Selection):
- 54th Venice Biennale (Italian Pavilion, Turin, curated by Vittorio Sgarbi)
- Carrousel du Louvre (Paris, France)
- International ArtExpo & Jadite Galleries (New York, United States)
- Art Nation & Blackburn Gallery (Miami, USA)
- West Lake Art Fair (Hangzhou, Chine) & Beijing Art Expo (Pékin, Chine)
- International Art Fair (Istanbul, Turkey) & Innsbruck Art Fair (Austria)
- 4th GEMLUC Art Competition (Monte Carlo, Principality of Monaco)

Works in public and ecclesiastical collections

Inspired by Caravaggio and his mastery of sacred art, Claudio Giulianelli has created major works for religious buildings, museums and state institutions:

Palace of the Chancellery (Vatican, Rome): Painting St Jerome Writing.
Private papal audience: Personal presentation of a Crucifixion to His Holiness Saint John Paul II.
Churches and religious buildings (Italy and Austria): the churches of St Pius V, St John Leonardi and St Barbara in Rome; Casamari Abbey; the Church of St Lawrence (Ybbs an der Donau, Austria).
Institutions & Museums: Latino Art Museum (Pomona, Los Angeles), Temecula Art Foundation (California), Museo Contea del Caravaggio (Sicily), Arte Fiera Foundation (Istanbul).

You can also find our artist in:

Sulis Fine Art – England

Mega Art Gallery -Corchiano VT

What the critics say (300 Magazine, New York):

“Claudio Giulianelli has developed a distinctive style that blends reality and mysticism, symbolism and surrealism.”

‘His spectacular paintings enable the viewer to look beyond aesthetic beauty to reveal profound references to contemporary society and human behaviour.’