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Francisco J. J. C. Masseria (I. Devini) Biography

Argentina, April 7th, 1926 - Rome, Italy in 2002

Masseria’s parents were Italian. Masseria evidenced a talent for art when he was young, drawing color pencil portraits of his grade school friends. He began painting with oil paints when he was about 13 and progressed rapidly as an artist. His first achievement came at the age of 14 when exhibiting at the Salon Annuale of Entre Rios he earned his first gold medal.

His father, Joseph, encourage his son to pursue his talent as a ‘self taught’ artist. Masseria’s paintings are exquisitely classic, but the backgrounds are of another time and place, whirling, swirling abstract masses. By combining the classic realism with the abstract Masseria achieved remarkable tension and release, the heartbeat of any art form. Masseria’s art derives from two opposed schools of thought: the Romantic realism of Diego Velasquez, Peter Paul Rubens and Eugene Delacroix.

In the faces of his portraits Masseria attains a lyrical response to the human form, especially in developing the typically romantic serenity of the eyes. Masseria portraits have a fluid quality that results from the artists’ skillful manipulation of color. There is a virtuoso quality to Masseria’s work that is similar to Rubens, the 17th Century Flemish master, and the Frenchman Delacroix. While the compositions of these artists alternate between baroque vitality and rhythmic balance, the technique is determinedly Romantic. Their touch is free and bold. Color is their essential medium of expression. Francisco traveled across the continents of the Americas from Rio to Los Angeles to New York achieving great acclaim for his work. A series of personal exhibitions from 1950 to 1964 brought him into the major circles of the art world. Personal exhibitions were held in 1952, 1954, 1956 in Rio de Janeiro and San Paolo, Brazil; in 1953 Santiago, Chile; in 1957 Mexico City, Mexico; in 1958 New York City; in 1959 San Francisco ; in 1964 Madrid, Spain.

Masseria was forced to go into hiding after being placed on the anti-Perónista list, and he began signing his paintings "I. Devini" Masseria was catapulted into international fame when one of the most prestigious English porcelain companies — Royal Doulton —His work today can be found amount private collectors and art lovers world wide.

F.J.J.C. Masseria is represented by Arnot Gallery, New York since 1958.

Masseria died in Rome, Italy in 2002.