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Fiorello
Tosoni was born in Prato where he lives and works, with a studio
in Via Torino 44, 59100 Prato - Italy - phone +39 0574 37001. After living in London for a few years in the
early '60s where he was a student a St. Martin's College studying
figurative drawing and portraits from life, Tosoni met the English
painter Frank Slater who painted fine portraits of show business
personalities. Slater followed Tosoni's work for some time, before
his premature death in the mid-60s.
Upon his definitive return to Italy in 1964 Tosoni attended with
very good results the Nude Class at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Florence, where his teacher was Prof.Emanuele Cavalli.
Then, in 1965, his first meeting with Pietro Annigoni took place
in Florence. And from 1968 he attended daily his studio for many
years. Following the flood in 1966, he was called upon by Annigioni
to lead a team of artists in the initial restoration of his 9-metre
long painting "Vita" which had been damaged by water.
The restoration took place in the Palazzo of Counts Serristori
in Florence.
In 1968 Tosoni had his first successes painting the portraits
of well-know personalities especially in the world of business.
Among whom the Lebole of Arezzo co-owners with Lanerossi of the
famous line of clothing which bears their name. Between 1968 and
1971 he assisted Annigoni with the frescos in the church of Buon
Consiglio at Ponte Buggianese (Pistoia).
In 1972, on the occasion of his one-man show in Prato, RAI produced
a 30-minute documentary on him for national television. In that
same year major British newspapers (Daily Post, Dembighshire
Free Press) published articles on his art aon their front
pages. Others followed:North Wales News, Irish Express, The
Sunday People, Radio Wales.
In 1973 The Daily Mail sent a team of photographers to
Prato to carry out a reportage on Tosoni's art, which was then
published in the paper on the 2 April, together with a photo portraying
artist in front of the renaissance church of S. Maria delle Carceri,
designed by Giuliano da Sangallo. On the same occasion the BBC
Television came to Prato to film the master's work.
In Cronache Italiane of the 7 February 1974 on RAI 2, the
following comments were made on the master's one-man show by the
scholar Mauro Innocenti, together with a long film covering the
artist's work:
If i were asked to express a worthy opinion concerning the
merits of a painter such as Fiorello Tosoni, I would say that
we are fancing an accomplished and fully conscious master. Tosoni
ex pupil of Annigoni exceeds his master in having a subtle poetic
vain and a chromatic knowledge which is the principal gift of
a born painter. A skilful draughstman, his figures though classicalcarry
the sense and the drama of today's life, without betraying their
true resemblance. We could say thet Tosoni is a perfectly Tuscan
painter.
In mid-70s Tosoni's name enters in the Kunsthistorishes Istitut
- Archive of Italian Art of 20th century, at the same time a number
of banks, multinationals and well-know publishers bought the artist's
work for their important colletions.
Tosoni archived another great success during his one-man show
at the Art Expo in New York in 1987 where he was exhibiting, he
was the only one among the many artists from all over the world
who was given a full television coverage and whose merits as a
painter and as a person totally dedicate to art were widely recognised
during this very important international show.
His artistic bibliography is very extensive and he has had numerous
one-man shows both in Italy and abroad, among which we like to
remember the exhibition at Nicolis' Art Gallery in Phoenix in
1974, at the Galleria Comanducci in Milan in 1979, and at the
Los Angeles Expo in 1987, at the Paris Foyer, also in 1987, at
Palazzo Pretorio (which houses the collection of classical art)
in Prato in 1993, and in Verona 2001.
In that same year the well-known and long standing cultural and
news monthly "Sciena Illustrata" dedicated their
January issue to him, with the title "The Great Masters
of Contemporary Art", in which the editor, Italo Carlo
Sesti, and other well-known critics highlighted his qualities.
In following years this magazine published further articles on
his work and dedicated to him two front covers.
In 1996 he produced thirty paintings and drawings for "Treasure
Island" by Stevenson, published by Editalia (Gruppo Poligrafico
dello Stato), and "Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne, both of wich were unanimously praised. In the
same year his paintings were exhibited in Montecatini Terme in
the show "Masters of 20th Century" together with
those of other great historic artists of our century.
Year 2000..... furthermore we should point out the splendid catalogue
edited by Gruppo Poligrafico dello Stato ( Italian State Printing
Plant ) issued on the occasion of the 52nd Buchmesse in Frankfurt
( Germany). It features a very restricted selection of major living
artists, among these, Fiorello Tosoni, whose art is deservedly
represented and which confirms his undisputed artistic worth in
figurative painting on today international scene.
Tosoni's works are to be found in the most important collections,
both in Italy and abroad.
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