Mario Mafai

Mario Mafai was an Italian painter born in Rome on February 12, 1902, and died in the same city on March 31, 1965. Initially guided by his mother towards technical studies, Mafai showed an early artistic talent and abandoned formal schooling to fully dedicate himself to painting. He attended technical institutes and evening courses in ornamental arts, later studying at the British Academy in Via Margutta and the French Academy at Villa Medici. In 1929, together with Gino Bonichi, known as Scipione, and his wife Antonietta Raphaël, he co-founded the famous Scuola di Via Cavour, also known as the Roman School, an artistic movement characterized by tonal, emotional, and imaginative painting that opposed the dominant trends of the early 20th century. Mafai's work includes landscapes, portraits, and still lifes where light and color create plastic forms, evolving towards informal art in his later years. He participated in major exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale and the Rome Quadriennale, receiving awards and recognition. His works are held in public and private collections, and a gallery in Rome is named in his honor.