Draft:Francesco Pelleschi

Early career (1960s–1970s)

A self-taught artist, Francesco Pelleschi became involved in the art world from a young age, receiving letters of encouragement and appreciation from established post-Macchiaioli painters of the time, including Renato Natali and Giovanni March.^[8] His first public recognition came in 1968, when he was awarded joint first prize at the 14th Premio Nazionale di Pittura "Il lavoro nei Campi" in Vinci, among 98 participants, for his painting Vicolo Notturno.^[9] As a result, he was invited the following year, at age 23, to exhibit in the biennial exhibition La Gioconda at the Conti Guidi Castle (home to the Museo Leonardiano), alongside artists such as Xavier Bueno, Renato Guttuso, Bruno Saetti, Ernesto Treccani, and Corrado Cagli.^[3] The jury included Giovanni Previtali, Mario Soldati, and Raffaele De Grada, who would curate Pelleschi’s solo exhibition in Milan 27 years later.^[10] Also in 1969, he won the 4th Premio di Pittura "Silvestro Lega" and received a visit from Senator Giovanni Gronchi.^[11][12]

In 1971, he won first prize at the seventh Premio Nazionale di Pittura "Uliveto Terme", among 193 participants.^[13][14] That same year, he exhibited at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome.^[15] He also exhibited in Genoa, Trieste, Lucca (Palazzo Sani), and Florence (Dante's House Museum).^[16] On 16 May 1973, he won first prize at the national painting competition held during the 25th national conference of I.P.A.S. at the Palazzo dei Congressi, EUR, in Rome, selected from over 300 artists from across Italy.^[17]

In 1976, he exhibited his artwork, Ipnosi del Progresso, at the 12th Premio Nazionale di Pittura "Uliveto Terme" (an edition reserved for previous winners) and was awarded first prize.^[18] The jury included Dino Carlesi and Piero Pierotti.^[19] In 1977, he was invited to exhibit at the 12th International Prize for Contemporary Art (PIAC), held at the New National Museum of Monaco.^[20] The jury was chaired by René Huyghe, curator of the Louvre. He was invited again to participate to the International Prize for Contemporary Art in 1983.^[21]

First American journey: Long Sea Voyage (1978–1987)

In 1978, Francesco Pelleschi made his first trip to the United States, beginning a new artistic phase influenced by the roots of American Pop Art.^[5] His work combined photographic transfers, collage, and painting, reflecting a shift in both style and subject matter.^[22] During those years, he exhibited in Cleveland, Northfield, and at the Will Stone Collection gallery in San Francisco.^[23] He continued to participate in Italian painting competitions and, in 1980, won the Italian Premio "San Giorgio".^[24] In 1982, he was invited by the Graphis Arte gallery to exhibit at Artexpo in New York, held at the New York Coliseum.^[3] He exhibited his work with Renato Guttuso, Giacomo Manzù, and Raffaele De Rosa.^[21] He returned to Artexpo in 1984.^[3] That same year, he participated in the Premio Rotonda competition, held in honor of Amedeo Modigliani on the centenary of his birth. Pelleschi presented works created during the American period and was awarded first prize.^[25] He won the Premio Rotonda again in 1994, in an edition dedicated to its founder, Mario Borgiotti.^[5] In 1985, he received the Premio "San Giorgio" for a second time.^[24]

Return to Italy (1987–1994)

In 1987, Pelleschi held a solo exhibition at the Guastalla "Fante di Picche" Gallery in Livorno, where he presented artworks produced during the decade in the United States.^[22] This exhibition concluded a creative phase that emerged following his first visit in 1978.^[22] The art historian Gianni Pozzi noted that the Pop Art journey had come full circle ("The Long Sea Voyage has been done").^[26] That same year, he took part in the Premio Rotonda competition and was awarded first prize for his painting Veduta di Castel Sonnino, which was acquired by the municipality of Livorno and added to the permanent collection of the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori.^[5] In the early 1990s, he had the opportunity to set up his studio in Amedeo Modigliani's birthplace, which would be his workspace for the entire decade.^[3]

Second American phase (1994-present)

From the 1990s, Francesco Pelleschi took part in group art shows at The Seibu Museum of Art in Osaka and Tokyo, organized by Italian partner galleries.^[3] In 1995, the art critic Dino Carlesi selected him to represent the painting section of the 3rd Luso–Greek–Italian Festival of Theatre and Culture, Sete Sóis, Sete Luas ("Seven Suns, Seven Moons"), exhibiting at the Municipal Library of Pontedera and the Municipal Gallery in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal.^{[27][note 1]} The following year, two solo exhibitions were held: one at Studio G Arte Moderna in Milan and the other at Galleria Guastalla in Livorno, both including critical essays by Raffaele De Grada.^[10][29] From 1996 to 2000, he exhibited at Arte Fiera in Bologna, represented by Galleria Guastalla of Livorno and Studio G Arte Moderna of Milan ^[30] In 1997, he also participated in MIART, the international art fair in Milan, with Studio G Arte Moderna.^[30] For over twenty years, his work has been on permanent display at Galleria Elektra in Sausalito.^[31] In 2006, the Municipality of San Giovanni d'Asso invited him to exhibit his work in the town's medieval castle.^[32] His painting style, often described as impressionistic, is characterized by a textured surface and the use of hand-ground pigments.^[33] This combination of traditional and modern techniques drew the attention of museum curators and art historians, including Jean Audigier.^[34] Over the years, he has also occasionally exhibited in his hometown and has been invited to show his work together with artworks by Benvenuto Benvenuti, Voltolino Fontani, Giovanni March, Renato Natali, and Lorenzo Viani.^[35]