Nino Caffè

“Babucce Rosse”

Nino Caffè was known for his humorous depictions of cardinals engaged in playful activities. Born in 1909, Caffè grew up studying the arts in his native, northern Italy. At an early age, he joined the company of another young artist, Basaldella Afro, who would in time play an important role in the re-emergence of Italian artists from controversy to prominence in the art world. Caffè exhibited often together with Afro in Milan, and from him, Caffe learned to introduce into his work the allusive and descriptive elements, which would later become his trademark. The source of his compositions were the many red-robed priests who were an ever-present and daily part of life in the big cities of Italy, especially Rome, which he frequented. He chose to paint them engaged in activities or humorous situations in which one would not likely see them partaking, and endeared himself to a large audience throughout the world. His works have been awarded prizes in New York and London, as well as Milan, and have been exhibited in numerous galleries and exhibitions on both continents. Impressed by the abundant sales of his works in the United States, Caffè immigrated there and lived out the rest of his life, painting and relishing his popularity. He lived and worked in the Marche region since 1931, specifically in Pesaro. In Ancona, he resided between 1923 and 1930. In 1935, he graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Urbino, teaching in the years 1943–44. Caffè has alternated his work between Pesaro and Rome, where he has conducted a study between 1943–44 and then from 1958–63.