Oliviero Leonardi: Vitreous Enamel Paintings

Rediscovering the work of the Italian artist Oliviero Leonardi, whose significant contribution to postwar Italian and European art has been overlooked

In 2024, an extraordinary discovery was made. The entire life work of Italian postwar artist Oliviero Leonardi emerged after 40 years in hiding. Overwhelmed by such an artistic presence, Association Oliviero Leonardi was created to reestablish the forgotten legacy of the artist. He was a painter, an alchemist, an enamellist and a Maestro.
This comprehensive publication serves as a compelling academic rediscovery of Oliviero Leonardi through the lenses of its most unique medium: vitreous enamel painting on steel plates. With detailed insights from authoritative contributors in the field and an expertly curated selection of works, the book offers a deep dive into the artist's innovative techniques, themes, and contributions to the evolution of postwar art in Italy and Europe. This unique publication is meant to become the scientific reference on the artist and offers scholars, curators, art enthusiasts and collectors a rare opportunity to revisit an important, yet overlooked, figure of the postwar Italian art scene. A pioneer in vitreous enamel painting on steel, Oliviero Leonardi (1921 – 2019) was a postwar Italian artist based in Rome and later on in France. His works were studied by important art historians and critics, including Giulio Carlo Argan and Gustav René Hocke, who wrote a monograph on the artist. Over the course of his career, Leonardi exhibited widely across Europe.