View of via di Panico, Rome, Circa 1960

Sirio Pellegrini  

Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his childhood in Rome, in the heart of the old city, behind the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. He fought in World War II as an English and French interpreter, despite his anti-militarist views. At the end of the conflict, he was hired by the Ministry of Transport. In his spare time, he devoted himself to filmmaking and, in the wake of the neorealist movement of the period, shot a documentary on the Roman suburbs with music by Maestro Zafred. This documentary is now held in the National Archives of the Workers' Movement.

His artistic vocation emerged almost by chance, and over time it increasingly occupied his interests and his life, to the point that he resigned from the ministry to devote himself entirely to the figurative arts. At the beginning of his artistic production, Sirio focused above all on capturing the most characteristic aspects of his city and subsequently travelled extensively to European and non-European capitals, benefiting from ministerial permission for free national and international circulation by rail and water. He spent a long period in Paris, which contributed to refining his painting techniques. He participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions; he exhibited his works at DECORARTE X (1965), at the Grand Hotel del Parco in Pescasseroli (1965), at the ART GALLERY - Paesi Nuovi and was admitted to the IX Quadriennale Nazionale d'Arte in Rome with three paintings (1965); and to the Alatri Prize (1966).

From painting he transferred his interest to sculpture with notable results, recognized by official critics. His artistic sense in this field also developed thanks to numerous trips to Greece, where his interest focused on the study and contemplation of the works of the old masters. Rich in humanity, Sirio Pellegrini is a lyrical narrator, as M. Rivosecchi wrote in the presentation of his works at the Gallery Art in Rome: his art is rich in influences that develop harmoniously, writes the illustrious critic, but it also draws on the works of the Greats. He died on January 15, 1983, in Rome.