Portrait of a man

Giuseppe Barison, an Italian painter, was born on September 5, 1853, in Trieste, into a family where his father, Francesco, worked as a tailor. His early talent in drawing caught the attention of Anna De Rin, a noblewoman who played a pivotal role in his artistic development. She facilitated his initial training under Karl Emil Haase in Trieste and later supported his enrollment at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1872. There, Barison studied under notable figures such as Karl von Blaas, Eduard Von Engerth, and August Eisenmenger, who introduced him to historical painting. His academic years were marked by a rigorous curriculum, both in practice and theory, as evidenced by his detailed notebooks. Returning to Trieste in 1876, Barison quickly made his mark with his historical painting 'Isabella Orsini e il suo paggio' at the Ninth Fine Arts Exhibition in 1877, earning him a generous grant from the Trieste Municipality for a two-year stay in Rome. Despite his efforts to capture the city's essence, his work 'Muzio Attendolo Sforza' faced criticism for its perceived unnatural horse posture, reflecting the shifting tastes away from historicist themes. This period, though challenging, showed Barison's gradual departure from strict academicism towards more naturalistic landscapes. After his Roman sojourn, he returned to Trieste, where he continued to develop his artistic voice until his death on January 7, 1931.