Antonio De Val Biography
Antonio De Val, born in Naples in 1895 and died in 1977, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples in the 1910s. During his career De Val created many ceramic works characterized by a synthetic and linear style, which emerges not only from the sculptures in the round, but also from the bas-reliefs. The artist's early works feature female figures and animal subjects, developing a solid and elegant model with condensed and vigorous designs that take into account the Italian sculptural tradition of the fifteenth century, in particular Donatello. In 1929, his first research results were presented at the 1st Trade Union Exhibition in Naples, with several works including bas-reliefs, small sculptures and polychrome terracottas. He participated in the Venice Biennale in 1934 and 1936, and in the II Quadrennial in Rome in 1935. After the war, he worked to reopen the factory, together with other colleagues, continuing it until 1948. For the rest of his life, he dedicated himself almost exclusively to ceramics, working for the Ceramiche Artistiche Napoletane factory. He died in Naples in 1977.
