Mary Solari
| Mary Solari | |
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Self-portrait of Mary Solari
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| Born |
Mary Magdalene Solari January 11, 1849 Calvari, Italy |
| Died | November 4, 1929 (aged 80) Memphis, Tennessee |
| Education | Accademia di Belle Arti, Florence, Italy |
| Occupation | artist, painter |
| Style | figure, portrait, landscape |
Mary Magdalene Solari (1849–1929) was an Italian-American artist well known for oil and watercolor paintings of figures and portraits.
Mary Solari was born in Calvari, in the comune of San Colombano Certénoli, near Genoa, in Liguria, Italy. The Solari family moved to Memphis, Tennessee soon after her birth, and Mary began her education in the Memphis public schools. She returned to her native Italy in 1878 to escape the yellow fever epidemic and study art. In 1885, she became the first woman admitted to the Accademia di Belle Arti of Florence, where she earned nine medals and two master's degrees while learning to paint in the tradition of the old masters, such as Michelangelo Buonarroti, Francesco da Sangallo, Agnolo Bronzino, Benvenuto Cellini, Giorgio Vasari, Bartolomeo Ammannati, and Giambologna.
As a pioneer for women's art in Italy and America, she was the first woman admitted to the Accademia di Belle Arti, "Academy of Fine Arts", of Florence. Born in Italy and raised in Memphis, TN, Mary Solari participated as a contestant and judge at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago (World's Columbian Exposition), where she was the only Southerner and woman on the panel of the international jury of award, and she separately won a medal of honor and blue ribbon for her artwork. Her artwork was also displayed at the 1897 Tennessee Centennial, where she received first prize for oil painting, first and second prizes for watercolor, first prize for crayon, first prize for landscape, and first prize for overall collection. She also displayed her works at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition, where she was awarded multiple medals. She is renowned for her artwork, and considered one of the best artists from the State of Tennessee. In 1859, Mary's sister, Catherine Solari, married Domenico Canale, who later became a major alcohol and produce distributor throughout the Southern United States.
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