Paoli Bruno

«The colors are the real miracle of this shy artisti. Pink colors thought and creamed for a long time, the reds different from any other red, and the yellows and greens that tell stories full of invention... few play with such skill as he does with his brush strokes. Sometimes in defiance of the laws of composition, and of the use of volumes. Paoli's women are strong-willed and pugnacious protagonists. They have the determination of someone who is destined to win, but if they lose, would do it without despair» (Umberto Cecchi)

Bruno Paoli’s works build on incisive stroke as well as on expressive power of colors. He has a deep knowledge of human virtues and vices. 

There is in his painting the triumph of woman. Paoli depicts a resolute and gritty woman. His girls are blonde, red, brunette, sometimes they are tender, sometimes cruel. Glowing eyes, scornful mouths, Paoli tells the beauty and mistery of women. He was born in Florence, Italy, in 1915. After taking his diploma at the local Art Institute of Florence in 1936, he spent the years from 1937 to 1943 under the armed forces. Brief intervals allowed him to exhibit in his first Florentine art shows: in 1943 at the Fiore Gallery and in 1943 at the Via Larga Gallery. Paoli's expressionist paintings were often compared with those of Gauguin, Modigliani and Rouault. From 1944 to 1962 he intensely devotes himself to ceramics and gains wide approval that brings him important recognition at Lerici, Faenza, Gubbio, and Vicenza. In this period his pictorical commitment was slackened but not interrupted. For example, in 1955 he won the coveted “Purchase Prize” from the Modern Art Gallery of Forence, at the Piazza Donatello Exhibit. In 1950 he began teaching at the prestigious Art Institute of Porta Romana, a position he would hold for over four decades. Than he will also be assosciate scholar of the Arti del Disegno (Artists Guild) in Florence. From 1962 again he takes up his activity as a painter in full and exhibits his works in many personal and collective shows, obtaining recognition culminating with the prestigious ‘Mario Bucci” Award. His works may be found in public and private collections throughout Italy and the world. He passed away in 2005.

1951

Awarded at the XV Mostra dell'Artigianato, Florence, for ceramics

Takes part in the III Mostra selettiva per la ceramica, at the Angelicum, Milan

1952

Purchase Prize for ceramics at the XII Concorso della Ceramica, Faenza; the work is placed in Faenza Museum

Purchase Prize for ceramics at the IV Mostra Selettiva all’Angelicum, Milan

Collective show at Giraldi Art Gallery, Livorno

1953

Personal show at the La Torre Art Gallery, Florence

1954

Collective show at the La Torre Art Gallery, Florence

1955

Personal show at the La Torre Art Gallery, Florence

Awarded Ceramic Prize, Vicenza

Purchase Prize for painting at the Modern Art Gallery, Florence, Piazza Donatello Show

1957

Personal show at Giraldi Art Gallery, Livorno

1958

Premio Arte e Sport for Sculpture, Florence

1960

Arte e Sport Exhibition, Palazzo Strozzi, Firenze

Golden medal for ceramics, Camera dei Deputati, Gubbio

1961

Personal show at Zotti Art Gallery, Milan

Lerici Prize for ceramics - winner

1962

Awarded at the IV Mostra del Ritratto (portrait show), Casa di Dante, Florence

1963

Personal exhibition at Fiorenza Art Gallery, Genova, and at Papi Art Gallery, Florence

Premio Nazionale del Ritratto (national portrait prize), Florence – winner

1964

Award for painting, Fondazione Carmine, Florence

1965

Personal show of ceramics and oil paintings at Palazzo Vecchio Art Gallery, Florence

Mostra d'arte dedicata alla mamma, San Godenzo

Personal exhibition at International Art Gallery, Florence

1966

XVII International Art Show, Premio Fiorino, Florence

Personal show at Palazzo Vecchio Art Gallery, Florence

1967

I Biennale Arte e Sport, Barcelona, Spain

Prize-winner at the Arno flood theme competition, Concorso di pittura Lo Sprone, Florence

Prize-winner at the VII Premio di Pittura Il Boschetto, Florence

Personal show at Palazzo Vecchio Art Gallery, Florence

1968

Prize-winner, V Mostra Nazionale Arte e Sport, Florence

Personal exhibition at Ponte Vecchio Art Gallery, Florence

1969

Personal art show, Gruppo Culturale Le Madielle, Borgo San Lorenzo

Winner - ex aequo with Remo Giordani - Biennial Award for Sacred Art, Premio Biennale d’Arte Sacra “Amici di San Francesco”, Pistoia

Personal exhibitions at International Art Gallery, Florence and at Il Vaglio Art Gallery, Florence

Tuscan Contemporary Art Review, V Rassegna d'Arte Contemporanea di pittori e scultori operanti in Toscana, S. Margherita Ligure

Rassegna dipittori fiorentini, Art Gallery 14, Florence

1971

Personal exhibitions at Palazzetto Alamanni Art Gallery, Montevarchi and at Art Gallery 33, Lucca

Personal exhibition at Vaccarino Art Gallery, Florence

Collective show at Palazzetto Alamanni, Montevarchi

Awarded at II Biennial Sacred Art Show, (II Biennale d’Arte Sacra), Pistola

1972

Personal show at Palazzetto Alamanni Art Gallery, Montevarchi (presentation by Aldo Cairola)

Personal exhibition Circolo Il Gabbione, Poggibonsi (presentation by Norberto Dalla Noce)

Personal show at Circolo degli Artisti, Arezzo

1973

Personal exhibition at the Il Castello Art Gallery, Pontassieve (presentation by Corrado Marsan)

Personal show at Cairoli Art Gallery, Milan (presentation by Pino Gilioli)

Awarded, Premio Bucci, Compagnia del Paiolo, Firenze, Pera di Capannori Prize

Personal show at Centro Culturale Studio 188, Trani

1975

Personal exhibitions at Caldarese Art Gallery, Bologna and at the Il Mirteto Art Gallery, Florence

1983

Personal show at Mauri Art Gallery, Mariano Comense (presentation by Alberto Longatti)

Personal exhibition at Ente Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo di Como (presentation by Alberto Longatti)

1984

Collective show Guidi, Maccari, Paoli, and Possenti at Poggiali e Forconi Art Gallery, Florence

Exhibition of Twentieth Century Masters (Maestri del Novecento), Poggiali e Forconi Art Gallery, Florence (presentation by Elvio Natali)

Personal exhibition at Patrizia Art Gallery, Montecatini Terme

1985

Personal show at City Art Gallery, Lignano Sabbiadoro (presentation by Luigi Serravalli)

Personal exhibition at Poggiali e Forconi Art Gallery, Florence (presentation by Tommaso Paloscia)

Personal show at San Luca Art Gallery, Verona (presentation by Marcello Venturoli)

Personal exhibitions at Expo Arte, Bari and at Arte Fiera, Bologna

Personal show at S. Michele Art Gallery, Brescia

1986

Personal show at  Art Jonction International, Nice, France

Personal exhibition at Canci Art Gallery, Lerici (presentation by Antonio Malma)

Personal show at San Luca Art Gallery, Caserta

Personal shows at Expo Arte, Bari and at Arte Fiera, Bologna

Personal exhibition at Studio 57 Art Gallery, Udine

1987

Omaggio a Bruno Paoli (a tribute to Bruno Paoli), Poggibonsi, Casa de Chiesino (presentation by Nicola Miceli)

Personal shows at the Expo Arte, Bari and the Arte Fiera, Bologna

1988

Personal show at Sigismondo Art Gallery, Rimini

Personal shows at the Expo Arte, Bari and at Arte Fiera, Bologna

Personal exhibitions at SIAC, Florence and at Bidart, Bergamo

1989

Personal exhibition at Gianni Mauri Art Gallery, Mariano Comense, Como (presentation by Alberto Longatti)

Personal art shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna and Arte Roma 89, Rome

Personal exhibitions at the SIAC, Florence and at Bidart, Bergamo

Personal at BIAF 90, Barcelona International Art Forum, Barcelona, Spain

Personal exhibition at J.R. Grosvenor LTD, Carmel, California, USA

1990

Personal art shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna - Arte Roma 90 - and Bidart, Bergamo

Personal exhibition at Salone Italiano Arte Contemporanea, Florence

Personal show at Biennial Contemporary and Modern Art Show, Torino Arte Biennale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

1991

Personal show at Torino Arte Biennale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea

Personal art shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna and Arte Roma 91, Rome

Personal exhibition at Momò Art Gallery, Casamicciola Terme (presentation by Antonio Malmo)

Personal show at the Gianni Mauri Consorzio Esposizione Le virtù della Mano (virtues of the hand), Mariano Comense, Como

Personal show at Medici Gallery, Carmel, California, USA

1992

Personal art shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna and Arte Roma 92, Rome

Personal exhibition at Palazzo di Ferro Art Gallery, Taormina

Personal at SIAC, Florence and at Arte Padova 92, Padova

Personal show at Bidart, Bergamo

Personal exhibitions at Gianni Mauri Art Gallery, Mariano Comense, Como and at Sigismondo Art Gallery, Rimini

1993

Personal show at Arte-Fiera, Bologna

Personal exhibition at Comune di Cortina d'Ampezzo, Assessorato alla Cultura (presentation by Paolo Rizzi)

1994

Personal shows at Arte-Fiera, Bologna and Padova Arte, Padova

1995

Personal exhibition at Bourbon Street Gallery, New Orleans, USA

Personal shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna - Expo Arte Fiera, Bari - and Biennale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Torino

1996

Personal shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna and at Gianni Mauri Art Gallery, Mariano Comense, Como

Personal exhibition at Studio 4 Art Gallery, Molfetta, Bari

1997

Personal shows at Arte Fiera, Bologna and Padova Arte, Padova

Personal exhibition at Bourbon Street Gallery, New Orleans, USA

1998

Personal shows at Expo Arte, Reggio Emilia and Padova Arte, Padova

Personal exhibition at Il Castello Art Gallery, Trento

1999

Personal shows at Studio 4 Art Gallery, Molfetta, Bari and Mauri Art Gallery, Mariano Comense, Como

Personal exhibit at Padova Arte, Padova

2000

Personal exhibition at Bourbon Street Gallery, New Orleans, USA

Personal exhibition at Padova Arte, Padova

2001

Personal show at Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea (Gallery for Contemporary Art), Palazzo Chianini-Vincenzi, Arezzo