If you love art then you really should enjoy getting to know the work of Pietro Annigoni.  Here is one of his wondrous self-portraits:

Self Portrait by Pietro Annigoni – 1946.
Oil on Canvas – 45 cm x 35.5 cm.

This article is discussing the “Realists’ Realist” – Pietro Annigoni.  Pietro was born 7th June 1910 in Milan and died 28th October 1988 in Florence, Italy – his beloved home and country of birth.

A master artist who could teach anyone how to paint the original bona fide Renaissance method of art making.

And yet, following Pietro’s teaching you would require personal talent, skill, creativity and an incredible working perseverance to please this giant of 20th century Italian painting.

Without question if Pietro Annigoni had lived through the 15th and 16th centuries alongside Michelangelo and Da Vinci they would have welcomed him with open arms as their artistic equal.

Quite simply Annigoni is their relative modern-day artistic exemplar.

To add value to this past Master simile we only need mention artists such as Ben F. Long IV and Zsuszi Roboz to his media acclaim.  The former artist worked as an apprentice for nearing eight years under Annigoni’s expert direction.  The latter artist, another apprentice of Annigoni, died July 2012 at 82 years of age.  Roboz’ work heavily influenced by her love of music, dancing and literary interests.

Ben Long’s (Ben F. Long IV) own family has artistic flair running through their veins.  In perceiving the influence of Annigoni please take a look at Long’s ‘Mussaba’ oil on linen and also his ‘Self Portrait in Black’ of 2012.  From these portraits you can appreciate just how intricately Ben F. Long IV had learned from his ‘old school’ master teacher.

Bona fide art begets bona fide art by influence.

Please trust me earnestly when I say that artists know exactly the things we are doing.. explaining multiple ideas, intrinsically inspiring, making personal commentaries through art reverent to our hearts.

We would all accept that Van Gogh possessed the most pleasingly mild of personalities.  Contrasted starkly against such meekness his artistic ambition was much like Annigoni, Long and Roboz with its all consuming fire.

Within Annigoni’s eyes there is comprehensible determination and knowing.  His preparation and manner shows the controlled movements of a perfectionist at work.  Proudly professional with hints at personal delight for his learned craft.

Artisan carpenters’ that craft expensive woods, master architects that seemingly bend heavy stones to their will..  Annigoni mixed his painting pigments the Renaissance way.  Egg tempera deliciously blended to create the finest ingredients befitting a master worker.

Our eyes become the palate.

Portrait of Benedetto Annigoni (1958), son of Pietro Annigoni.

Above we see the young Benedetto Annigoni who passed away December 2011, aged 72 years.  Astute and contemplative, expectant that his father was immensely serious about his work.  In celebration of this Benedetto is credited in the film of his father entitled ‘Annigoni: Portrait of an Artist’ (1995).

Portrait of Cinciarda (1945) by Pietro Annigoni.
Oil tempera on panel – 180 cm x 100 cm.

The best commentary to be made about Pietro Annigoni’s ‘Cinciarda’ portrait shown immediately above is by the painter himself.  By way of translation Pietro said:

"...that nearly every day he climbed the stairs to my studio, and after ringing the 
bell and stood there, waiting, in the same pose in which I portrait. We were 
immediately after the [war], and this character, so humanly tragic, hit me for the 
symbolic meanings that [he] could take on. He came out of the battered conflict and 
'Cinciarda', miserable, there on the edge of the stairs, seemed to express the 
uncertainty of our future. "

A master Artist will reach into your soul.  A master Artist invites you to ask pertinent questions about the human condition and life itself.  To move you with unrestrained artistic brevity.

To ask whether Pietro Annigoni accomplishes this is tantamount to asking whether an Italian Pope prays.

Annigoni understood much about the world around him with his keen intellect.  His truly honest portraits of John F Kennedy and a work entitled ‘La Strega’ demonstrate sheer excellence of perception.

Similarly Annigoni’s Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth II portraits (commissioned 1957 and 1954-55 respectively) provided glamour to the British monarchy during a burgeoning Hollywood era of media fervour.  Certainly in terms of the printing press and a growing televisual audience of international proportion.

I encourage you to look at all of these paintings by Pietro for their intellectually artistic qualities.

Pietro Annigoni Is Renaissance Man.. Personified.

[Images courtesy of the Museo Pietro Annigoni in Florence, Italy.]