Guido Vedovato
Guido Vedovato is one of Italy’s best-known Naïve artists, admired for his instantly recognizable and deeply personal style. Born in Vicenza, in northern Italy, he now lives and works in the nearby town of Camisano Vicentino. Although he trained as an economist and never received formal art education, an encounter with Yugoslavian naïve art in the late 1970s inspired him to begin painting. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a lifelong passion.
Vedovato is celebrated for his narrative scenes, often drawn from everyday life in the mountainous villages of northern Italy. In his painting Trout Fishing in the Dolomites, for example, a fisherman casts his line against the dramatic backdrop of the Dolomites. Though he does not live in the mountains, Vedovato knows the region well and paints it with both familiarity and affection.
His style is distinctive: simplified forms, exaggerated proportions such as the oversized hands of a fisherman, and whimsical details like tree branches that stretch like tentacles. Rather than striving for strict realism, Vedovato focuses on character and mood. While many of his well-known works feature animals at night, he has often said that he prefers painting people, reflecting his deep interest in human stories.
Vedovato’s paintings carry a gentle humor and a touch of the surreal. Whether depicting a cow, an owl, or a fisherman, his works radiate warmth, personality, and a strong connection to rural life. By celebrating his surroundings and local traditions, he offers a unique and unmistakably naïve vision of Italy.
