Emilio Boggio

Emilio Boggio (21 May 18577 June 1920) was an Italian-Venezuelan pioneering impressionist painter. In 1864 he traveled to France and studied at the Lycée Michelet in Paris until 1870. In 1873, he returned to Caracas and dedicated himself to the family business. In 1877, he returned to France to join the Académie Julian where he received lessons from Jean-Paul Laurens. In 1888, obtained a Hors Concours (Honorable Mention) at the Salon of the Société des Artistes Français (Salon of French Artists) and in 1889, was awarded a bronze medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. to parents who were in trading business and were prosperous. His father was an Italian trader while his mother was Venezuelan of French and Spanish descent, direct descendant of the Spanish conqueror Gabriel de Ávila. At age 15, he was sent to France to finish his studies of commerce. After returning to Caracas, he became an assistant in a fabric trading business. He worked for four years but could not achieve anything as he was not inclined to pursue that profession as he was more of a painter. He then went back to France at the age of 20 for health reasons as he had contacted typhoid. He was therefore brought back to France to be treated and then pursue his studies on the subject of business economics and did 2 years educational training in commerce. His parents were still hoping that he would join the family business in trading.

However, in 1878, when he attended the Exposition Universelle in Paris, he decided that he would pursue the art of painting as his vocation. He then enrolled in the Julian Academy, a school of painting where he was trained by Jean-Paul Laurens who was a well known French painter, illustrator, and teacher. His field of special interest was Impressionism, an art movement that had its origin in France in the nineteenth century. Seven years later, met Arturo Michelena, from Venezuela. He actively worked in Italy for two years between 1907 and 1909.

In 1918

Death and legacy He returned to France in 1920 and soon thereafter died on 6 July 1920 at Auvers-sur-Oise in France. and in turn, Boggio influenced Armando Reverón.

Partial works He is credited with five publications in two languages. Some of Boggio's original paintings which are "brilliantly colorful, bright, beautiful, with personal style imprint" are in the National Art Gallery of Caracas