Marco Toso Borella | Glass Art
Art in the DNA
AN ARTISTIC HERITAGE IN THE DNA
Marco Toso Borella grew up in Murano in an economic and social context where Artistic Glass was the absolute protagonist, yet he was initially unaware of the artistic heritage of his ancestors flowing through his veins.
From a young age, he expressed a marked and innate talent for drawing, but since the post-war period, his family had specialized in the production of ornamental wooden frames for Murano mirrors and in the manufacture of packaging; therefore, he had no way of learning through direct emulation the ancient art of gold leaf engraving that had always distinguished the Toso Borella family.
It was only as a young man that he began searching Venetian and Murano archives and libraries for the origins of his family’s art, discovering the artistic heritage linked to his lineage.
In fact, he discovered that he belonged to the branch of the Toso family known by the nickname “Borella,” which for centuries had specialized in the art of “graffito on gold.”
Through his research, he traced his history back six generations, proving that the ancient technique had been practiced by his ancestors since at least the 1600s.
An old postcard
IN THE MURANO GOLDEN BOOK SINCE THE 17TH CENTURY
The ancient Toso family has been present in Murano since the mid-14th century and was included in the island’s Golden Book—thus authorized to work Artistic Glass—at the dawn of the 17th century.
Belonging to the noble register was considered a highly coveted privilege, as it allowed those enrolled to officially belong to the Murano Citizenship, thereby exclusively practicing the glass art and participating in the management of the Magnificent Community of Murano.
The Toso family distinguished itself in the public and artistic life of the city, providing prominent figures who held positions of responsibility, including within the ecclesiastical sphere.
Such is the case of Giovanbattista Toso, Parish Priest of San Donato from the end of the 18th century.
Giovanbattista Toso, parish priest of Murano from the end of the 18th century
THE ORIGIN OF THE NICKNAME “BORELLA”
The massive presence of the Toso or Tosi families in such a small area as Murano led to the birth of numerous and often colorful nicknames, aimed at differentiating the various branches of the family. “Borella” is one of these. The Toso Borellas distinguished themselves in the art of glass painting and in the manufacture of the elaborate frames of the famous Venetian mirrors.
Towards the end of the 19th century, there was a revival of Murano glass art, which had declined significantly following the Napoleonic and Habsburg rules. Several Murano masters, such as Giovanni Albertini, Leopoldo Bearzotti, and Antonio Tosi, dedicated themselves to the rediscovered enamel decoration on glass.
Among them, Francesco Toso Borella deserves a prominent place. (1846-1905).
The ancient “Toso Borella” coat of arms
FRANCESCO TOSO BORELLA
Francesco, a self-taught artist, donated a splendid plate decorated with enamels to the Glass Museum in 1873. He garnered international awards and recognition starting in 1888 and created perhaps the most beautiful decorated glass of his time on his island.
In this context, several reddish-purple bowls decorated with enamels and engraved gold leaf should be mentioned; two of these are still preserved at the Murano Glass Museum. They are signed in the typical Toso Borella manner: with the initials F(rancesco). T(oso). B(orella).
In 1900, Francesco participated in the Universal Exhibition in Paris, obtaining recognition that earned him fame and honors. His works were appreciated worldwide, on par with those of the great Gallé, Daum, and Lalique.
In 1901, he decorated 1100 glasses in floral style for the Royal House of Savoy which, in honor of the client, would forever be named “Regina Margherita”.
The fame of the Toso Borellas led the highest authorities to commission them for works of great prestige. Francesco’s typical style of decoration differed from contemporary ones due to the great refinement of colors and the delicacy of the line.
Francesco reproduced a decorated medieval bowl found in pieces among the rubble of the St. Mark’s Campanile that collapsed in 1902; the bowl was presented at the World’s Fair in St. Louis, U.S.A., in 1903.
A bowl decorated by Francesco Toso Borella
VITTORIO TOSO BORELLA
It was Vittorio (1878–1915) who worthily followed in his father’s footsteps. He was, in fact, a highly appreciated author of vases and glasses in Art Nouveau style, which he continued to sign with the initials V. T. B. or V.T.Borella.
The fame of the Toso Borellas resulted in caricatures, articles, and portraits in newspapers of the time, which also featured several advertisements for the “Vittorio Toso Borella” company.
A portrait of Vittorio Toso Borella
THE WOMEN ARTISTS: ROSALIA, LINDA, ALICE, AMALIA TOSO BORELLA
One must not forget Rosalia, Linda, Alice, and Amalia Toso Borella, Vittorio’s sisters, skilled painters who also distinguished themselves in the family’s glass art.
A fragment of an old family photograph
THE ART OF THE MARANGONI
After the Second World War, the artistic glass-making vein of the Toso Borella family seemed to weaken in favor of the family’s other specialty: the art of the “marangoni,” or carpenters.
The business therefore oriented itself more pragmatically towards the construction of wooden structures for mirrors, also receiving international awards and recognition.
The famous Murano mirrors
MARCO TOSO BORELLA
Finally, it would be a self-taught adolescent Marco Toso Borella, towards the end of the 1970s, who would rediscover and recover that artistic tradition of his ancestors, elevating it to a higher level of pictorial art.
Today, Marco Toso Borella is considered the leading international exponent of the ancient artistic technique of Roman and Byzantine origin that has belonged to his family for more than six generations.
His works are held in private collections worldwide and are also permanently exhibited in the Murano Glass Museum.
His Stations of the Cross is on display inside the Basilica of San Donato in Murano.
The contemporary artistic evolution of Marco Toso Borella