Manlio Sarra

Manlio Sarra, born on August 24, 1909, in Monte San Giovanni Campano (Frosinone) and deceased on October 1, 1986, in Rome. From a young age, he showed a strong inclination for drawing and painting, producing numerous landscapes and portraits that reflect his interest in modern art, particularly post-impressionism. In the late 1920s, he moved to Rome, where he completed his studies at the Art High School and won a scholarship to attend the Academy of Fine Arts, graduating under the guidance of master Umberto Coromaldi, a prominent figure among the “XXV della campagna romana.” During his formative years, he connected with leading artists and intellectuals of the 20th century such as Orfeo Tamburi, Mario Mafai, Ardengo Soffici, Mario Sironi, Afro, Felice Casorati, Ignazio Silone, Giorgio De Chirico, and Giuseppe Ungaretti. His artistic career includes participation in major exhibitions, including the IX Exhibition of the Interprovincial Fascist Union of Fine Arts in Rome in 1940 with the painting "Luigino," the National Quadriennial Art Exhibitions in Rome from 1948 to 1966, and the 28th Venice International Art Biennale in 1956 with works like "Paesaggio ciociaro," "Figura," and "Ritratto." Among his notable works are portraits and landscapes of high artistic value, such as "L’alcolizzato," which in 1966 was involved in a legal dispute due to a mistaken attribution to Cézanne. His artistic output is valued for its technical quality and attention to realism and emotional expression, establishing him as one of the masters of 20th-century Italian painting.