Remo Brindisi

Remo Brindisi, born in Rome on April 25, 1918, and deceased in Lido di Spina on July 25, 1996, was one of the most significant Italian painters of the 20th century. Of Abruzzese origins, Brindisi spent his childhood in Penne, in the province of Pescara, where he attended the Mario dei Fiori Art School under the guidance of his father, a wood sculptor. After a brief period in L’Aquila, he moved to Rome to study set design at the Centro Sperimentale and attend the Free School of Nude at the Academy of Fine Arts. Thanks to a scholarship, he then enrolled at the Higher Institute of Art for Book Illustration in Urbino, completing his artistic education.
Remo Brindisi’s career is marked by a constant stylistic research, leading him from initial realism to a neo-figurative language enriched by expressionist suggestions. His early works show the influence of El Greco, the Roman School, and artists such as Mario Mafai and Corrado Cagli. During World War II, he stayed in Florence, entering the city’s vibrant artistic scene and befriending figures like Ardengo Soffici, Felice Carena, and Ottone Rosai.
Brindisi made his debut in 1940 with a solo exhibition in Florence, presented by Eugenio Montale, and from then on exhibited in numerous Italian and international cities, including Paris, Nice, Milan, Venice, Rome, Cairo, and São Paulo. His works, often focused on human figures, faces, and landscapes, are characterized by strong emotional charge and social commitment, earning him the nickname “the painter of the social”. Among his recurring themes are the “Venezie,” “Oppositori,” and “Pastorelli,” but his production also extends to theatrical set design, with panels created for the Arena di Verona, and to sculpture, with works in ceramics and terracotta.
Remo Brindisi is today recognized as one of the masters of 20th-century Italian painting. Schools and streets in various Italian cities are named after him, a testament to his central role in the national artistic culture. His works are present in public and private collections and continue to be sought after in major auction houses, such as Colasanti, which enhances his artistic heritage through auctions dedicated to modern and contemporary art.