His early work was linked to realism with hints of the pre-Raphaelites and symbolists, typical of the eclecticism of Italian art at the end of the 19th century. He was present at six editions of the Venice Biennale (from 1903 to 1926) and worked in Bangkok, where he created decorative works for the Norashing Palace and various portraits of court figures. He took part in the First World War without abandoning painting and later executed cycles of frescoes in important buildings in Piedmont and Liguria.
