Roberto Del Frate

Roberto Del Frate is a contemporary Italian artist whose career began at the renowned Atelier Frattini in Venice, founded by his father, Enrico del Frate (1929–2006), a respected painter. Under his father’s guidance, Del Frate developed a refined skill for color research and canvas preparation, allowing him to produce early works that drew from his father's styles: a Mannerist approach inspired by the Venetian vedutismo tradition of painters like Francesco Guardi, Guglielmo Ciardi, and Pietro Fragiacomo, as well as an "en plein air" style reminiscent of French Impressionism and Italian Macchiaioli.

During the 1980s, Del Frate spent significant time in Paris, where French Impressionism profoundly influenced him. This period led him to explore natural landscapes and pastoral themes, replacing Venetian scenes with sunlit fields and seascapes featuring figures at leisure. In the 1990s, he opened his own atelier in Venice, shifting his focus from pastoral to urban landscapes, capturing the vitality of city life in works that blended Impressionistic techniques with contemporary themes.

In the 2000s, Del Frate expanded his artistic practice to include portraiture, emphasizing figures within his landscapes by painting human forms in black and white, contrasted against vibrant, abstract backgrounds. This approach, inspired by expressionism, allowed him to create striking contrasts that highlight his subjects’ emotions and presence. Currently based in Trieste, Italy, Del Frate works out of his artistic residency at Atelier Home Gallery, where he continues to develop his unique blend of neo-impressionist landscapes and expressive portraits.