Giovanni Craglietto (Vertegneglio, Istria 1889 – 1975 Trieste)
Craglietto studied at the Imperial and Royal State School of Arts and Crafts, the Scuola per Capi d'Arte e Technica in Trieste, under Scomparini (with whom he created the frescoes in San Giovanni as his graduation project), Braidotti and Bellarinini.
He then attended the Accademia di Venezia with Tito and Cezanne, and immediately afterwards the School of Applied Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where, alongside Löffler, Selch and others, he was particularly impressed by Oskar Kokoschka and was inspired by the Vienna Secession and the birth of Austrian Expressionism. His works were presented in numerous exhibitions in Trieste, Verona, Rome, Milan and Naples. He was also included in the second volume of ‘Die Fläche’, edited by Berthold Löffler; see bibliography.
He was scarcely influenced by the avant-garde and remained essentially true to his realistic formal language. However, he did incorporate some expressionist elements, such as bolder colours and expressive symbols, and was thus able to depict characteristic human types vividly.
Lit.: Portfolio, Die Fläche II, Decorative Designs. New Series, Bertold Löffler, MAK Inv. No. BI 12983-2
