Morelli was born in Bagnacavallo in 1896 and he died in Bogliaco del Garda in 1976. He was an important 20th century illustrator and painter.
When he was just thirteen he moved to Milan where, after having attended school, he began his artist career first as a poster and advertising designer, then as a cartoonist and, after World War I, he became part of the artist movement “Novecento Italiano”, whose inspiration was 15th century pre-Renaissaince art in the attempt of creating a new way of paiting.
Along his long career as an artist, he took part to some of the most important national and international art exhibitions, he tought at Brera Academy of Fine Arts and at Bologna Academy of Fine Arts.
He mainly painted landscapes and portraits. Morelli is indeed considered to be one of the greatest landscape painters of the 20th century; Assisi, where he lived from 1923 to 1940, Bogliaco del Garda and Bagnacavallo are frequently represented. Portraits often depict relatives or are selfportraits.
Morelli’s way of painting is terse, with strong colours, fast and contrasting. Although his style is updated with modern trends, his work is based on traditional themes.
A large number of his art works has been donated by Enzo Morelli’s wife after his death to Bagnacavallo’s municipality, since this was the artist’s will. This donation is now the most important part of the modern art collection of the town museum “Le Cappuccine”.