Roberto Bigano Shooting Art
I am an eclectic photographer because combining different working methods and experiences enriches a photographer’s background and skills. Over the years, however, I developed skills and techniques for shooting art objects, such as paintings, sculptures, architecture, and vintage cars.
I also included some background pictures to explain how I work.
Madonna del Cardellino, Raffaello.
Raphael. Madona del Cardellino e Madonna della Seggiola
For Utet publishing, I reproduced masterpieces, including two iconic Raphael paintings: Madonna del Cardellino and Madonna della Seggiola.
The pictures were printed in fine art and life-size on archive-embossed papers resembling the originals.
Le Radeau de La Méduse by Théodore Géricault 1818, kept at Louvre
Musée du Louvre. Paris. The Raft of the Medusa, by Theodore Gericault. For FMR Art Magazine.
I was introduced to the Louvre Museum by Italian publisher Franco Maria Ricci. His Art Magazine was probably one of the most prestigious art magazines in the world, so they closed this room for four hours just for me. This was a lot, considering Da Vinci’s “Gioconda” is kept in the next room.
At first, I was really disheartened, as the situation was tough. The Museum Director gave me strict limits regarding strobe power. Additional problems were created by the huge skylights, which added reflections to the painting.
Hi-Res Repro of Leonardo da Vinci Drawings. Biblioteca Reale Torino.
Leonardo’s Self-Portrait in High-Resolution.
I used many Hasselblad digital backs with the “multishot” or “micro-step” settings, with very high resolutions, up to 88 Mp, which was crucial in serving exceptional results. This was not just a pointless display of power but necessary to capture every last detail. The lens is a 120mm macro, extraordinary, and capable of supporting unbelievable resolutions. The multishot reproduction allows for very exact color without interpolation. For this reason, the natural sharpness, without using a mask, is incredible and shows every shade.
For contract reason I cannot publicly show the drawings images.
See the Self-Portrait published in “Victor by Hasselblad” Magazine >
Multi-shot for Pinnacle Image Quality. The Leonardo da Vinci Self-Portrait >
Engraving, drawings and marbles by Antonio Canova at Possagno’s Gypsotec.
L’invenzione della Bellezza – FMR Book
During this photo shoot, I had goosebumps. I was in awe of the beauty of the sculptures around me and the equally stunning location. The Possagno Sculpture Gallery, which holds all the original master copies of Canova’s sculptures, was redesigned by famous Italian architect Carlo Scarpa in a beautiful natural setting.
This is the only one of my books that I don’t have a copy of. The retail price of the book was €100.000/$115.000. Sixteen copies were printed; eight were donated to the heads of state at the G8 meeting, and the others were sold.
I reproduced Canova’s Engravings, Ballet drawings, sketches, and some marbles, like the one shown in the backstage.
Old and New Testament Medieval Ivory Carving
Exhibition: The Amalfi Medieval Ivories Enigma
I took these pictures for an exhibition in Salerno at Museo Diocesano in 2008. I shot in very high resolution, revealing details previously unknown.
Recently, the pictures were published in the FMR Magazine.
You can buy the issue here >
Crucifix by Giotto at Ognissanti Church, Florence
Crucifixes an altarpieces by Giotto in Florence.
For this assignment, I photographed Giotto’s two crucifixes in the Church of Ognissanti and Santa Maria Novella and an altarpiece in the Duomo in Florence.
Each shot was particularly challenging.
Saint George and the Princess. Santa Anastasia, Verona.
Saint George, the Princess and the Dragon. Detached fresco at Santa Anastasia Church, Verona.
I noticed that the natural light was perfect on the right-hand side at a particular hour, but the center and left were in the shadow. After approximately half an hour, it was perfect at the center, and so on. So I shot this in five takes, with a one-hour lag. I planned to shoot in micro-step mode, at 16 shots, to obtain 88 MP shots.
Initially, this seemed unattainable because of the absolute stability required by this shooting mode, where the slightest hint of micro-vibration would have produced an unusable, pixelated file.
Complete work by Niko Pirosmani, national Painter of Georgia
Niko Pirosmani Exhibition at Albertina Museum, Vienna.
This is one of my most unusual and exciting works. I have reproduced the complete works of Niko Pirosmani, the Georgian national painter, in practically all the museums of Georgia and in some private homes, some luxurious, others humble.
This job was very challenging but very satisfying.
The work was published in a catalog for an important exhibition at the Albertina Museum in Vienna. Read More >
The Nonexistent Knight – The Armour Collection of Ferdinand Von Hapsburg
The Nonexistent Knight, by Italo Calvino. The Armour Collection of Ferdinand Von Hapsburg
Years ago, Franco Maria Ricci, one of the finest and most refined Italian publishers, asked me to photograph the stunning armors collection of the Archduke of Tyrol Ferdinand of Hapsburg, kept at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, to illustrate a book based on a novel by famed Italian writer Italo Calvino.
Il Cavaliere inesistente (The Nonexistent Knight), his narrative masterpiece, is the only story in the world in which clothes do not make the man but are the man.
Divina Bugatti
Divina Bugatti – FMR Book
“In 1991, I was working for Bugatti Automobili. One day, the refined publisher Franco Maria Ricci, who already desired to celebrate the myth of the Bugatti, suggested the idea of a book on the legendary brand to Romano Artioli, the Bugatti company owner. They reached an agreement, and the plan went through. The result was a milestone in automotive publishing.
Enjoy my “Divina Bugatti” Portfolio>
Divina Bugatti. A Timeless Legend Celebrated in a Timeless Book >
The book, printed in ten thousand copies, despite the unaffordable price, sold out and was unavailable for decades once a recent discovery made a few units available for purchase again.
Buy The Italian or French edition >.