Giovanni Costa, often called Nino Costa, was a pivotal figure in 19th-century Italian art, known for his landscapes that merged Romantic sensibility with burgeoning Impressionist influences. Born on October 15, 1826, in Rome, Costa's initial education and career did not point towards art; instead, he studied law, responding to his family's wishes. However, his deep love for art soon prevailed, leading him to abandon law and dedicate his life to painting. Costa's early work was shaped by his admiration for the Nazarenes, a group of German Romantic painters who aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in Christian art. This influence is evident in his meticulous attention to detail and his compositions’ moral and emotional depths. However, Costa soon developed a unique style characterized by a profound connection to the Italian landscape, particularly the countryside around Rome and the coastal scenes of the Maremma. In 1851, Costa's artistic direction took a significant turn after meeting the English artists George Heming Mason and Frederick Leighton in Rome. This encounter encouraged him to explore new artistic paths and instilled in him a love for the open air and natural light, which profoundly influenced his subsequent work. Costa's landscapes from this period began to reflect a more immediate, plein-air approach, capturing the changing effects of light with a looser, more vibrant brushwork that heralded the techniques of Impressionism. By the 1860s, Costa had become a central figure in a group of expatriate artists residing in Italy, known as the Macchiaioli. The Macchiaioli, who worked mostly out of Florence, were interested in capturing the "macchia" — an Italian term meaning "patch" or "spot", referring to the play of light and shade in a landscape. Costa’s association with this group deepened his exploration of light and color, although he never fully adopted the Macchiaioli's style. Perhaps one of Costa’s most significant contributions to Italian art was his role in promoting what he called "Arte Nazionale," a movement advocating for art that was distinctly Italian, free from foreign influences and deeply rooted in Italian traditions and landscapes. His advocacy was not just theoretical; in 1883, he was instrumental in founding the Etruscan School of Art in Rome, which aimed to foster these ideals. Costa's commitment to Italian art also had a political dimension. A staunch patriot, his work and ethos were intertwined with the ideals of the Risorgimento, the movement for Italian unification. His landscapes often carried a nationalist sentiment, celebrating the beauty and diversity of Italy as a unified homeland. Giovanni Costa’s later years saw him recognized as a mentor to younger Italian artists, and he continued painting almost until his death on January 31, 1903. His legacy, characterized by a blend of romanticism and a prelude to impressionism, influenced a generation of Italian painters. Today, his works can be seen in major galleries across Italy and beyond, standing as testaments to his vision of capturing the ephemeral qualities of light and the enduring beauty of the Italian landscape.