This year, Edas publishing house in Messina published Giovanni Molonia’s book entitledSaro Cucinotta, engraver, art critic and patriot from Messina. Molonia, a distinguished scholar of the history, art and traditions of his city, who passed away in 2019, left a complete draft of the book, which was then prepared for printing by his wife Alba Crea.

Artistic Training and Early Success

Artistic training and early successes The work focuses on the character of Cucinotta, retracing the stages of his life: from his training and fruitful contacts with southern critics and artists, to his stay in Paris (during which he collaborated with important French magazines) until his tragic death, which occurred in the bloody period following France’s defeat in the Franco Prussian War and the establishment of a conservative national government.

Cucinotta, already considered excellent at drawing at a very young age, studied with Professor Giovanni Benincasa, who introduced him to the engraving courses held by Aloysio Juvara, a lecturer at the Royal University of Messina. In 1850, he was among thestudents who followed Juvara to Naples, where the professor had obtained the chair of engraving techniques at the Academy. From his very first exhibitions, Cucinotta received recognition: in 1855, he showed the preparatory drawing for the engraving The Marriage of Saint Catherine (a subject taken from Correggio), which was completed by Juvara after his death.

Patriotic Commitment and Artistic Activity

Patriotic commitment and artistic activity His political commitment saw him involved in the uprisings of 1847 and 1848, in the expedition of the Thousand and, finally, in relief efforts during the Franco-Prussian War. In Naples, besides showing his etchings with increasing success, he began to write his first articles on modern art, always from an anti-academic perspective. In 1866, he left the city going to Paris, after participating in the Third War of Independence, the year in which he also achieved official recognition with his etching Dopo il diluvio (After the Flood), based on the famous painting by Filippo Palizzi, now preserved in Capodimonte.

Paris: Art, Work, and Recognition

Paris: art, work and recognition In Paris, which had been renovated for the 1867 Universal Exhibition, Cucinotta lived in the Batignolles district, which was bustling with artists such as Renoir, Pisarro, Degas and Manet. He frequented the Salons, joined the Société des Aquafortistes and collaborated with L’Illustration and other art periodicals, which became his main source of income. These were years of intense work, crowned in 1869 by the much-desired Knight’s Cross of the Crown of Italy. The artist’s name and the circumstances of his death are commemorated in one of the most beautiful paintings preserved in the Civic Museum of Mazzetti’s: L’Ambulanza italiana (The Italian Ambulance) by Carlo Nogaro.

Carlo Nogaro’s Painting and the Tragedy of 1870

Carlo Nogaro’s painting and the tragedy of 1870 The Franco-Prussian War also had a severe impact on the career of Nogaro, who had moved to Paris in 1866. The painting, dated 1872 and created in his studio, was inspired by the artist’s first-hand experience during the conflict of 1870, when he assisted the wounded at the Théâtre Italien, one of the city’s most organised rescue companies, which included artists and musicians. The committee also included the wives of the members of the Ambulance, including Marie Thérese Lesseps Nogaro. On the gilded wooden plaque painted by the artist, which bears the names of fifteen members of the “Italian Ambulance”, next to that of our engraver from Messina, there is a note recalling his tragic fate: “shot by mistake at the entrance of the troops to Paris”. The artist’s signature is visible on the right-hand side of the plaque.

The Death of Cucinotta: Historical Reconstruction

The death of Cucinotta: historical reconstruction One of the contributions of Molonia’s book is that it offers a reliable reconstruction of the death of Cucinotta. Unlike many artists, including his Italian friend Francesco Netti, he did not leave Paris when troops sent by the Prussians and the French government arrived from Versailles to suppress the rebels of the Commune. French sources report that Cucinotta, in an attempt to rescue a wounded Communard near his home, was arrested despite his protests and the display of the white armband with the Red Cross of the Italian Ambulance. His cries of innocence were not useful. The following morning, he refused to be taken to Brest to board the prison ships and was killed with two revolver shots at Parc Monceau, the scene of mass executions. His body was never found.

Between Legacy and Memory

Between legacy and memory After news of his death, his hometown, friends and fellow artists met to pay tribute to the late engraver. Molonia’s book restores merit and visibility to this Messina-born European artist, renewing his memory and historical and artistic value.