Giovanni Montelatici A Pietra dura plaque of the bath Florence, early 20th century

Giovanni Montelatici (d. 1930) is best known for his remarkable skill in rendering life-like religious, domestic, and rural scenes in pietra dura.  After exhibiting with fellow Italian artist Calileo Chini at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris in which they won a gold medal for an inlaid table depicting the Annunciation, they returned to Florence and established a workshop on the Via Arnolfo.  Once joined by his sons Alfonso and Mario in the early 20^th century, Montelatici’s business benefitted from international buyers and a growing taste for pietra dura scenes.