Gottardo Piazzoni  (1872-1945)

 

Gottardo Piazzoni was born in Intragna, Swtizerland, in 1872 and in 1887 moved to join his father who had a ranch in Carmel Valley.  From 1891 to 1893, Piazzoni excelled at the San Francisco School of Design under Arthur Mathews and Raymond Dabb Yelland, from whom he’d adopt the predominant tonal palette that was popular in early San Franciscan art.  Further study followed for Piazzoni at the Academie Julian and the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, where he shared a studio with Granville Redmond.

 

Upon his return to San Francisco, Piazzoni worked diligently and exhibited his works with enough commercial success to return to Europe for two years with his new bride, Beatrice Del Mue.  Upon his return to San Francisco in 1907, Piazzoni opened another studio in the rebuilding city from which he led painting excursions, taught classes, and eventually took on teaching duties at the California School of Fine Arts.

 

Gottardo Piazzoni died at his family’s ranch in Carmel Valley in 1945.