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Irene Bianucci

Summary

Irene Bianucci (December 16, 1903 – November 20, 1988) was an Italian-born American painter, who participated in the art projects for the New Deal's Section of Painting and Sculpture creating the post office mural for Mount Carroll, Illinois, as well as murals for some of Chicago's elementary schools.

Irene Bianucci
Biannuci in 1951
Born(1903-12-16)December 16, 1903
Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
DiedNovember 20, 1988(1988-11-20) (aged 84)
Encinitas, San Diego County, California
NationalityAmerican
Other namesI. B. Soravia, Irene Bianucci-Soravia
Occupation(s)artist, muralist
Years active1931-1980

Early life edit

Irene Bianucci was born on December 16, 1903, in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy to Assunta (née Cataldi) and Amadeo Bianucci.[1][2][3] When she was six years old, her family immigrated to the United States, first settling in Farmer City, Illinois, before moving to the nearby city of Clinton.[4] After graduating from Clinton High School in 1922, Bianucci went on to study at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.[4][5] In 1924, Bianucci won the Minnie Bachman Mueller prize from Millikin for exceptional ability in execution of a mural entitled "Music".[6] She began entering her work in county fairs winning two first place ribbons at the Illinois State Fair in 1926 for a still life and a painting of animals. Graduating from Miliken after completion of her studies,[7] Bianucci continued her training, enrolling at the Chicago Art Institute, later that same year.[5]

Returning to the fair competition in 1927, Bianucci won three blue ribbons and five red ribbons for her paintings at the state fair.[5] In 1930, she was awarded the Union League Club of Chicago Art Prize for her painting, "Little Russian Girl"[2] and then won The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellowship to continue her studies in New York.[4] Bianucci's painting, "La Pensierosa", was selected to be part of the Art Institute of Chicago’s 34th Annual Exhibition in 1930.[8] The following year, she participated in a show of works by the present and former students of George Raab at the Decatur Art Institute. Bianucci's portraiture was singled out for its eye-catching qualities.[9]

Career edit

Beginning in 1931, Bianucci worked as a professional portraitist.[9] Her studio was located on Dearborn Street and she participated in gallery showings in 1935 at the Chicago Art Institute and Tower Town Galleries.[10] Glowing reviews of her works, such as "In the Storm", "Rain", and "Young Girl", appeared regularly in Eleanor Jewett's column on the arts in The Chicago Tribune, in 1940.[11][12][13]

 
Rural Scene—Wakarusa Valley

Bianucci joined the Works Progress Administration (WPA) artists of Illinois, receiving commissions to paint murals in Chicago at the Clara Barton Elementary School and the Martin A. Ryerson Elementary School. Her two murals at Ryerson, Discovery of America and Landing of Columbus were painted in 1940. Her mural at Clara Barton School was later destroyed.[1][14] In 1941, Bianucci won the commission to paint the post office mural at Mount Carroll, Illinois. The mural, entitled Rural Scene–Wakarusa Valley, was an oil on canvas farm scene,[15] which was restored in the late 1990s.[16] When the federal artist's program ended in 1943, Bianucci worked as an illustrator and designer for the Container Corporation of America throughout World War II.[1][4]

Bianucci married fellow artist, Roy Robert Soravia, who was involved in the Op art movement and directed the Parnassus Gallery in Chicago. In 1949, the couple moved to Leucadia, Encinitas, California.[17] Both continued to paint and showed their works at such galleries as Mandel Brother's Art Gallery of Chicago.[18]

Death and legacy edit

Soravia died on November 20, 1988, in Encinitas, San Diego County, California.[1]

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c d Illinois Women Artists Project 2017.
  2. ^ a b The Decatur Herald 1930, p. 8.
  3. ^ The Decatur Daily Review 1955, p. 21.
  4. ^ a b c d The Decatur Daily Review 1951, p. 15.
  5. ^ a b c The Decatur Daily Review 1927, p. 14.
  6. ^ The Decatur Herald 1924, p. 3.
  7. ^ The Pantagraph 1926, p. 19.
  8. ^ The Art Institute of Chicago 1930, p. 19.
  9. ^ a b The Decatur Daily Review 1931, p. 18.
  10. ^ The Decatur Daily Review 1935, p. 6.
  11. ^ Jewett & February 27, 1940, p. 13.
  12. ^ Jewett & March 3, 1940, p. 100.
  13. ^ Jewett & May 5, 1940, p. 118.
  14. ^ Becker 2002, pp. 175, 210.
  15. ^ The Journal Standard 1941, p. 5.
  16. ^ McAdams 1997.
  17. ^ Holzinger 2015.
  18. ^ The Decatur Daily Review 1953, p. 14.

Bibliography edit

  • Catalogue of the Thirty-Fourth Annual Exhibition by Artists of Chicago and Vicinity (PDF) (Report). Chicago, Illinois: Art Institute of Chicago. 1930. p. 19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 September 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • Becker, Heather (2002). Art for the people: the rediscovery and preservation of progressive- and WPA-era murals in the Chicago public schools, 1904-1943. San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0-8118-3579-4.
  • Holzinger, Lin (2015). "Soravia Collection". San Dieguito Art Guild. Encinitas, California. Archived from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • Jewett, Eleanor (March 3, 1940). "Sharaku Works on Exhibit at Art Institute". Chicago, Illinois: The Chicago Tribune. p. 100. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • Jewett, Eleanor (May 5, 1940). "South Honors Chicago Artist and Sculptor". Chicago, Illinois: The Chicago Tribune. p. 118. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • Jewett, Eleanor (February 27, 1940). "Whorf Offers Fine Show of Watercolors". Chicago, Illinois: The Chicago Tribune. p. 13. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • McAdams, Heather (May 1, 1997). "Mount Carroll, Illinois". Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • "Irene Bianucci". Illinois Women Artists Project. Peoria, Illinois: Bradley University. 2017. Archived from the original on 6 November 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  • "Irene Bianucci, Clinton, Wins Union League Club Award for Oil Painting". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Herald. January 16, 1930. p. 8. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Clinton". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. December 30, 1935. p. 6. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Clinton Girl Winner". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. September 1, 1927. p. 14. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Clinton Student Wins Art Prize". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Herald. June 9, 1924. p. 3. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Clinton Woman Won Art Prize". Bloomington, Illinois: The Pantagraph. August 27, 1926. p. 19. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Former Clinton Resident Paints in Studio". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. May 24, 1951. p. 15. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Decatur Artists Show Work at Art Institute". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. March 1, 1931. p. 18. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspaperarchive.com.  
  • "Mrs. Bianucci, 75, Celebrates Today". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. January 5, 1955. p. 21. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Other Mt. Carroll News". Freeport, Illinois: The Journal Standard. November 8, 1941. p. 5. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  
  • "Paintings at Mandel's: Irene Bianucci and Husband Have Exhibition". Decatur, Illinois: The Decatur Daily Review. May 5, 1953. p. 14. Retrieved 4 March 2017 – via Newspapers.com.  

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