Giovanni Battista Podestà
Italy, 1895 - 1976
The life and work of Giovanni Battista Podestà were deeply shaped by the social and political circumstances of the first half of the 20th century, in so far as the major part of his works reflects the doubts, insecurities and changes that defined that period. First, Giovanni Podestà focused on oil painting, particularly religious motifs and landscapes. Later, he started creating bas and high relief by using different recovered materials such as mirrors, paper and metal. Podestà’s work is deeply shaped by the religious and popular symbolism and can be seen as a manifest against the loss of some spiritual caused by the materialistic values that began to appear associated with a growing consumer society.
