Fattori, Giovanni

Born Sept. 6, 1825, in Leghorn; died Aug. 30, 1908, in Florence. Italian painter; leading figure of the macchiaioli school.

From 1846 to 1849, Fattori studied at the Academy of Arts in Florence, where he also taught from 1869. He fought in the Revolution of 1848–49. Fattori first earned recognition for his enormous battle scenes, such as The Italian Camp After the Battle of Magenta (1861; Pitti Gallery, Florence). However, he achieved genuine success with his small scenes and studies, which are noted for their lifelike immediacy, free style, and precise composition, for example, The White Horse (Carniello collection, Florence) and On Patrol (Marzotto collection, Rome). He is also well known for his highly individualized portraits. Fattori also did etchings.