Sante Graziani (March 11, 1920 – March 15, 2005) was an American artist and art educator. He was known for his murals, which adorned many public buildings.

Education

Graziani was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to parents who had immigrated from Tuscany. He was educated at the

Cleveland Institute of Art The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio. History The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at fir ...

and later at

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

. He met with success early in his career, winning the Pulitzer traveling scholarship in Art at the age of 22.

Career

Soon after military service in World War II, he began a career as an art educator. He taught at

Yale University School of Art The Yale School of Art is the art school of Yale University. Founded in 1869 as the first professional fine arts school in the United States, it grants Masters of Fine Arts degrees to students completing a two-year course in graphic design, painti ...

from 1946 to 1951. His students at that time included

Claes Oldenburg Claes Oldenburg (January 28, 1929 – July 18, 2022) was a Swedish-born American sculptor, best known for his public art installations typically featuring large replicas of everyday objects. Another theme in his work is soft sculpture versions ...

. From 1951 to 1981, Graziani was at the School of the Worcester Art Museum in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second- most populous city in New England after ...

, where he taught and was also Dean. In 1982, he moved to

Paier College of Art Paier College (formerly Paier College of Art) is a Private college, private For-profit higher education in the United States, for-profit Art school, art college in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Previously located in Hamden, Connecticut, Paier is the ...

Hamden, Connecticut Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". The population was 61,169 at the 2020 census. History The peaceful tribe of Quinnipiacs were the first residents of the ...

, where he was Dean until 1995 and Dean Emeritus that same year until his death. Graziani initially gained recognition for his murals. Among his works were several murals at the public library in

Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...

, depicting among others

Elizur Holyoke Elizur Holyoke (1618 1676) of Springfield, Massachusetts was an English colonist, surveyor, scribe, soldier, the namesake of the mountain, Mount Holyoke, and indirectly, of the city of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Background Elizur Holyoke arrived i ...

and

Rowland Thomas Rowland Thomas (–1698) of Springfield, Massachusetts was an English colonist, selectman, stonemason, surveyor, and proprietor, and the namesake of Mount Tom, originally known as Mount Thomas, which he was said to have surveyed in tandem wi ...

; a mural finished in 1942 at the

Columbus Junction, Iowa Columbus Junction is a city in Louisa County, Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux Ri ...

, post office titled ''Lovers Leap''; a post office mural, ''Joseph Deford and His Friends Build the First Cabin in Bluffton'' (1941) in

Bluffton, Ohio Bluffton, originally known as Shannon, is a village (United States)#Ohio, village in Allen County, Ohio, Allen and Hancock County, Ohio, Hancock counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 4,125 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 ce ...

; and one at the Museum of Fine Arts in Springfield, Massachusetts. In later works that drew on iconic paintings from art history for inspiration, he produced paintings and murals that reflected the influence of pop art. He has been described as "a witty, clever painter and draughtsman, holikes to paraphrase the old masters, copying some of their most famous works, and incorporating them into vividly colored hard-edge backgrounds." In the years around the United States bicentennial celebration in 1976, he produced paintings that included references to well known images of

George George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Pres ...

and

Martha Washington Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (June 21, 1731 — May 22, 1802) was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, Martha Washington served as the inaugural ...

. He was commissioned to paint a colorful and decorative mural featuring an image of George Washington on the side of a building in Worcester, Massachusetts, in that era. He was also commissioned to design a stamp for the U.S. postal service. Graziani died at his daughter's home in Princeton, Massachusetts, aged 85.

Education

Career

References

Further reading