(1837 - 1918)
Ernesto Fontana was born in Milan and was a pupil of Francesco Hayez and Giuseppe Bertini. He began his career painting historical subjects and later produced romanticised images of women, before working as an illustrator for the publications ‘L’Illustration Italiana’ and ‘L’Illustration Universal’. Fontana was also commissioned to paint frescoes and ceiling designs for villas and churches. Some survive today, including those at Villa Erba and Villa Olmo, both on Lake Como. Perhaps his best works are portraits of his contemporaries, including those of Leo Delibes (1836-1891) and Jules Emile Massenet (1842-1912). Fontana exhibited in both Italy and Switzerland. During the last years of his life he lived in Cureglia, Switzerland.
