Filadelfo Simi, painter, was born in Versilia (Tuscany) on 11 February 1849. Even though he is little known today, Simi had indeed obtained many awards and honors throughout his life. He became Honorary Academic in Florence (1884), Bologna (1888) and the Brera Academy in Milan (1895), for instance. He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, and moved to Paris for four years, where he studied in École des Beaux-Arts and became friends with Jean-Léon Gérôme. Returing to Italy, he first stopped in Umbria and in Florence. There, he taught at the Scuola di Nudo dell’Accademia and at the Stazzema Capoluogo. It was this time when he composed many of important works, gaining thus international fame. Simi’s style is a mixture of French academic techniques and Italian naturalism.
Further reading
Alba Tiberto Beluffi (1996) Filadelfo Simi, un uomo, un artista, Pisa: Pacini Editore.
Alba Tiberto Beluffi, Filadelfo Simi, pictor,
The mother of the artist
The studio of the artist
Spanish balcony
The window
A reflection
Alone in the mountain
Evening prayer