The Life and Art of Bruno Civitico
Bruno Civitico was an Italian-born American painter, draughtsman, and teacher. Born in Dignano, Italy, he emigrated to the United States at age nine, moving to Minnesota and later to Paterson, New Jersey. He earned a BFA from the Pratt Institute and an MFA from Indiana University. His teaching career included positions at Princeton, Temple University, the University of New Hampshire, and privately in Charleston, South Carolina.
His artistic practice spanned several styles, including perceptual realism, classicism, and a Neo-Baroque Mannerism. Working within the narrative tradition, his subject matter included:
Civitico's work often utilized multiple perspectives and a "gently cubist-inflected" approach to create dialogues between the past and the present. His paintings were characterized by opaque paint strokes in both lights and shadows, often building form through large shapes in pale-toned values.
Exhibitions and Recognition
Throughout his career, Civitico participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions. His solo shows were held at the Robert Schoelkopf Gallery in New York, the Contemporary Realist Gallery in San Francisco, and the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston. He also curated the exhibition Landscape Painting 1960-1990, The Italian Tradition in American Art at the Spoleto Festival USA.
His professional achievements include several prestigious honors and commissions:
