Farewell to Luigi Guardigli, engraver and Picasso's pupil: Gianni

Farewell to Luigi Guardigli, engraver and pupil of Picasso

Luigi Guardigli passed away on April 13 in Tenerife. Born in Naples on June 6, 1945, he was a leading contemporary engraver and also an accomplished painter, known for combining technical precision with expressive freedom.

Welcomed early in his career by Pablo Picasso between 1969 and 1971, Guardigli worked in Picasso’s Paris studio and residences in Spain and France, helping spread figurative art through the calcographic reproduction of works. Prominent artists such as Salvador Dalí, Marc Chagall and Joan Miró entrusted him with the engravings of their pieces.

• Technique and craft: an expert in calcography and lithography, able to convey complex marks and vision onto the plate.
• Collaborations: long-standing partnerships with major 20th-century artists who valued his interpretative skill.
• Activity in Italy: long periods living and working in L’Aquila and regular participation in cultural life in Rieti.
• Exhibitions and outreach: notable personal shows such as Monte Terminillo (2015) and public printing demonstrations that engaged visitors directly with printmaking processes.

Gianni Turina recalls meeting Guardigli in 1986: a bearded man with a wide-brimmed hat who invited him to visit his graphic workshop in Contigliano. Their professional and personal relationship grew over the years; Turina later acquired Guardigli’s workshop equipment, including two presses and a rare 19th-century lithographic press, now kept in Turina’s studio at Ville S. Elia.

Guardigli frequently contributed to events like the Rieti World Chili Pepper Fair with themed works, talks and live printmaking, and supported charitable exhibitions through donations. In later years he lived in Tenerife with his family.

Artistic legacy: Guardigli’s work remains an important reference in engraving and graphic arts, leaving a legacy of works, tools and practical knowledge that will inform and inspire future printmakers.