Nino Caffè

Nino Caffe' grew up in Northern Italy where he studied the arts. Early in his life he joined the company of another young artist, Basaldella Afro. Both Nino and Basaldella exhibited their works together in the bustling and stylish city of Milan. It was from Afro that Caffè learned to pattern his works with allusive but descriptive elements that led to his own stylistic trademarks. The subjects of his paintings often included red robed priests who were such an important presence in Rome and the Vatican. These he depicted engaged in humorous, unlikely, or inappropriate activities or situations for priests. This imagery endeared his works to people around the world and encouraged their display in major galleries. Nino was so impressed with popular sales of his paintings in the U.S. that he immigrated to the United States to spend the balance of his life painting in America.