Prospero Riva official

Prospero Riva was a great art master, born in Milan on February 1st 1931 and died on July 4th 2015. His talent was already revealed when he was just a child. He began his artistic career by painting only landscapes in the outskirts of Milan, which is why he was called The Landscape Artist of Milan. Although he was mainly self-taught in both painting and drawing, he wanted to attend the Accademia Ambrosiana in Milan to further improve himself, and it was here that he was awarded the title of Master of Art. Initially he exhibited his paintings in various galleries in Milan with personal exhibitions and in this regard we want to thank the gallerist, lifelong friend, Guido Palmieri for often being at his side, later he traveled throughout the national territory and abroad. During his journey he also participated in collective exhibitions together with artists such as Brindisi, D'Angelo, D'Accardi and in places such as Paris, Lugano and Malta. His paintings are present in many of the most important national and international catalogs and dictionaries of modern art. Journalists and art critics have written about him and it is possible to read impressions and opinions on the dedicated page and gallery.

​

​

​

​

In the small gallery located above this paragraph, in addition to the Diploma that gives him the title of Master of Art, we find some shots of some of the awards that Prospero has received. There were many awards given to him during his career and there is a published document which reports some of them, but he never took pride in these awards and left prize cups and plaques in the cellar, away from the eyes of the people. 

Of a shy and introverted character although very friendly, he didn't really like being around people and preferred to lock himself in his studio to paint until late at night. In his reality, art was not a way to earn money, but a form of expression and the way to try the beautiful feeling of creating something from nothing, an ability that has been given to everyone.

 

Thanks to the exhibitions in the various galleries, his works have been increasingly sought after, due to his very personal style and his ability to create particular landscapes and deal with delicate and current topics. Prospero's paintings can be found in many homes, even distant ones, such as in England and France. Several collectors have created their own small private gallery and it is not uncommon to see one of his works in public places. In particular we want to remember the gift he made to the Parish of San Giulio di Cassano Magnago, of a large and beautiful painting of the Last Supper of Jesus. And since unfortunately we do not have a photograph of this work, we kindly invite the Parish mentioned to send us a copy.   

​

Among the recognitions received, there is also an important investiture, that of Knight of Malta for artistic merit, and the decorations are also exhibited in the gallery at the top of the page together with a dedication that the Brotherhood sent him. In Florence, however, he is awarded the Silver Lily, symbol of the city. 

​

The fact that Prospero, despite the beautiful paintings he painted, did not want to advertise himself through commercial channels meant that he was not even present on the web with an official website, but his paintings appeared and still appear on painting sales sites or auction sites. So it was believed that Prospero was an ordinary painter, easy to copy and resell to earn pocket money for the week. Some fakes were sold for 10 euros, certainly the value of the fake, but it must not bear the copied signature of Prospero Riva. However, the auction houses themselves begin by offering negligible prices and we believe that they have no knowledge of art given that fakes are passed to them without them realizing it. We are very sorry for the buyers who fell for the scam.

Other people, on the other hand, have started to sell off the inherited paintings, believing in that case too that they are works of little value to be kept in the cellar if a buyer cannot be found, because the posters are more modern.  

And that's why we started this site. 

​

SOMETIMES WE IGNORE THE PROCESS THAT HAPPENS BEHIND THE CREATION OF

A WORK OF ART. 

More on that later.

​

If you want to know how Prospero's artistic journey began, since he was a child, on the last page you will find a newspaper page, a little creased by time, which was proposed to him when he was called the Landscape Artist of Milan. It's an interesting story that we recommend reading. We want to underline the fact that THIS IS NOT A SALE SITE, but an exhibition and biographical site, to remember or make Prospero Riva known and give him back the value he deserved.

ENJOY