Self Portrait After Antonello da Messina, 1969

Sirio Pellegrini  

Sirio Pellegrini, born in Rome on March 1, 1922, of Abruzzo origins (Capestrano), spent his childhood years in Rome, in the heart of the old city, behind the Academy of S. Cecilia. He took part in the Second World War as an interpreter of the English and French languages, despite being of antimilitarist ideas. At the end of the conflict he was hired by the Ministry of Transport. During his free time he devoted himself with interest to cinematography, and, in the wake of the neorealist trend of that period, he filmed a documentary on the Roman suburbs with the music of Maestro Zafred. This documentary is now in the National Archive of the Workers' Movement. His artistic vocation manifested itself 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. Sirio at the beginning of his artistic production was mainly focused on capturing the most characteristic aspects of his city and later traveled extensively in European and non-European capitals, benefiting from the ministerial permit 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; exhibiting 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 ancient masters. Rich in humanity, Sirio Pellegrini is a lyrical narrator, as M. Rivosecchi wrote in the presentation of his works at the Art Gallery in Rome: his art is rich in influences that develop harmoniously, writes the illustrious critic, but there is no lack of the need to fortify himself on the works of the Greats. He died on January 15, 1983 in Rome.