The world of fashion is what made Giovanni Gastel famous. In the decade between the Eighties and Nineties, his name was placed side by side with the great Italian designers (Versace, Missoni, Trussardi, Krizia) and in the following years he began his collaboration with French designers (Dior, Nina Ricci and Guerlain): his shots have undoubtedly changed the perception of the image of fashion at an international level.

Starting from the 2000s, his career was enriched with a new chapter: portraits of protagonists not only from the world of fashion, but of culture and design, art (Ettore Sottsass), music (Vasco Rossi, Roberto Bolle, and entertainment (Monica Bellucci) and politics (Barack Obama, Marco Pannella).
The secret of such great success lies in a mix of deep human empathy and the ability to read into people to satisfy their desires. This sensitivity of his allowed him to go beyond the glossy shot and the catwalk to devote himself to poetry and art in general.

In the case of the work “Prova d'Autore”, his perception of reality is combined with a profound aesthetic sense, which has always been constant in the works of the aristocratic photographer (he was the direct grandson of Luchino Visconti).
The large photograph, taken in 2007 and part of the "Masks and Spectra" exhibition curated by Germano Celant (Palazzo della Ragione, Milan, 2009), was donated by the artist in 2015 to the Municipality of Lecco.

Location: room n. 3