Gregorio Sciltian (1900-1985)

Still-Life with Fish, 1928

Gregory Sciltian (Rostov, 1900 - Rome, April 1, 1985 ) was a Italian painter of Armenian descent. 

In 1919 following the October Revolution he left Russia and settled in Constantinople. But with the return to figuration classic twenties, studying at the Academy of Vienna Museums and the works of the Italian Renaissance. 

He married with Helen Boberman in 1923 and moved to Italy, opened a studio in Rome and participated in the II Rome Biennale '25. Roberto Longhi presents his solo show at the art house Bragaglia. The critic looks at the peculiarities of a painting where the tradition of Caravaggio and Flemish realism with an impressive photographic fidelity: a perfection achieved with a lens on the compact color scheme and technique borrowed from the ancient painting. 

After attending the Venice Biennale in 1926, Sciltian moved to Paris where he exhibited at the Salon des Independants. In a solo show at Galerie de la Renaissance is one of his works acquired by the Musée du Luxembourg. In 1928 he participated at the Exposition de l'Art Russe at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels. One of her works comes to the Royal Museum of Belgium. Constant theme of his painting is still life treated to 'trompe l'oeil'.
Gregory Sciltian returned to Italy in 1934, settling in Milan until 1941, working as a portraitist. Send works to exhibitions abroad (Liège, Berlin, London). Prepares a staff Milan's Galleria Scopinich, reviewed by Carlo Carra on 'The Ambrosian' and a Van Leer in Paris in 1933 at the Press Club of Bologna in 1937, again in Milan in 1938 Gianferrari. He exhibited in the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of 1936, the painting 'tavern Bacchus', purchased by the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. In 1940 he performed with F. Clerici, a trompe l'oeil for the VII Triennale of Milan. In 1942 staff at the Galleria in Milan and the Million Room at the Venice Biennale. After the war sets up a studio in Milan Palazzo Trivulzio. In 1947 he exhibited at the Gallery of Illustration in Milan in the exhibition 'Painting of the group of modern painters of reality' with the brothers Bueno, Acci, Charles Guarienti, Serri and Pietro Annigoni. With the same group exhibited in 1948 at the Galleria La Margherita. He studied the mannerisms while working the summer in Gardone Riviera on Lake Garda where he owns a house (his widow in 1988 will donate 16 paintings and other paintings from the private collection to the Italian Vittoriale where they are still exposed to Mirabella Villa) . He exhibited at the exhibition of the Portrait Gallery Cherubini in Florence in 1949.
In 1950 a group of works exhibited at the XXV Venice Biennale and at the Paris show at the Galerie Martoren 'Exposition Internationale des Peintres de la Réalité'. Exit in Milan on volume of Waldemar George 'Sciltian: the magic of reality'. Additional appearances by Drouet in Paris in 1958 and Bernheim Jeune in 1974. Anthology Roman Palace in Venice in 1970.
Since the 50 works makes costumes for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Teatro alla Scala, the 60 works on suggetti religious works for publishing demonstrates. Publishes books autobiographical 'My Adventure' and 'The reality of Sciltian. Treatise on Painting '. Anthologies in Milan in 1980 (in catalog written by I.Faldi, M.Fagiolo Arch, F.Miele) and in Moscow in 1983. Bibliography: R.Civello, Sciltian, complete works, Milan 1986.
He died in Rome on 1 April 1985.