Antonio De Val (Italian, 1895 - 1977) was married to Luisa Marino, daughter of sculptor and ceramist Raffaele Marino (1868-1959). He made his debut as a sculptor in 1921 at...
Antonio De Val(Italian, 1895 - 1977)was married to Luisa Marino, daughter of sculptor and ceramist Raffaele Marino (1868-1959). He made his debut as a sculptor in 1921 at the exhibition Mostra dei Grigio-verdi di Napoli. He also created a series of Art Deco works in ceramics. As a ceramist, like other fellow ceramists such as Vincenzo Strio (1871-1949), Zina Aita (1900- 1968) and Giuseppe Macedoni (1906-1986), he worked for the ceramics manufactory A. Freda & Figli in Naples, where his work was also exhibited.
In 1934 he took part in Naples in the second exhibition of colonial art,Il Mostra d’Arte Coloniale di Napoli - which ran from October 1934 to January 1935 - with works in bronze and some sculptures in ceramics of animals, and in the 19th Art Biennial in Venice (XIX Biennale d’Arte di Venezia.)
He then exhibited his creations at the annual exhibition 'Esposizioni Annuali di Arte Sindacale di Napoli' and in 1937, together with Giuseppina De Feo and Antonio Marone, he founded the Ceramica di Posillipo manufactory for the production of artistic ceramics, which was housed in part of his house in Via Manzoni 54 in Naples. His father-in-law Raffaele Marinowas also active in the company.
In 1940 the magazine "Emporium" discussed one of his sculptures, "Vittoria Alata", which he had exhibited at the Triennale d’Oltremare di Napoli.
After an interruption of activities due to the war, Antonio De Val reopened the manufactory together with new members., but in 1948 he was again forced to close the company and went to work for the Ceramiche Artistiche Napoletane manufactory.
The Museo Provinciale della Ceramica di Raito (Ceramics museum)in Vietri sul Mare preserves numerous ceramic works by Antonio De Val.
Artieri, G. & Ciardo, V. (1928), ‘Cronache napoletane'; Il Gruppo Flegreo - Da Mancini ai Futuristi - Un giovane grande scultore: Antonio De Val - I circumvisionisti’ in Emporium, vol. LVXIII, no 404, p. 125-130