April 5, 1981

Franco Gentilini (August 4, 1909 to April 5, 1981) was an Italian artist of exuberant creativity. His career, after he won The Rubicon Prize in 1934, includes this info:

..... A Bolognese painter of the early 1900's, Franco Gentilini was immersed in the atmosphere of modern artistic innovations and influences of that era: impressionism, tonal painting, and cubism. He has been acknowledged and acclaimed throughout the world for many private and group exhibitions in Chicago, Cincinnati, Tokyo, Kyoto, London, Toronto and New York. He was flown to New York for the magazine “Fortune” where he painted the bridges of New York and then toured with his art exhibitions in several major cities throughout America.

And while information in English about this artist is scarce, he apparently fell in love with Kim Novak, though it was a cinematic relationship.

But we have his art, and that tells all we need to know about this genius. Here is "Stephania with the Cat", 1942:





Following are what I call his modulations on a feline theme

You may have noticed his sense of humor: