Carlo Verdecchia

The son of a veterinarian who was also a painter, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples under the guidance of Vincenzo Volpe and Paolo Vetri. A pivotal figure in his artistic development was Giuseppe Casciaro, with whom he lived for a time. This close contact with Casciaro’s extensive private art collection—virtually a private museum—as well as with many Neapolitan and other artists who gathered there, deeply influenced his formation. Equally significant was the influence of fellow countryman Filippo Palizzi, whose works Casciaro owned in the largest collection outside the Neapolitan Academy.
His exhibition career began in 1927. In 1929, he held his first solo show at the Bardi Gallery in Milan, which was favorably reviewed by Carlo Carrà in the pages of L’Ambrosiano. He took part in the Neapolitan Trade Union Exhibitions from the third to the twelfth edition (1931–1942), and in 1940 served on the organizing committee. He also participated in three National Inter-Union Exhibitions and in the 4th Art Exhibition of the Abruzzo and Molise Union in Campobasso.
He exhibited multiple times at the Venice Biennale (in 1936, 1938, 1942 with a solo room, and again in 1948). He also took part in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Rome Quadriennale, and later in the postwar editions, including the 6th and the 8th (1959–60).