Lido Bettarini (1927-2019) - Marina

Lido Bettarini (Sesto Fiorentino, February 2, 1927 – Vallauris, May 9, 2019) was a prominent Italian painter, regarded as one of the leading representatives of the contemporary painting school for his figurative-dreamlike style.

Born into a family of ceramicists, he began very young as a decorator. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, where he was a pupil of Ottone Rosai, graduating in 1960. After his early career, the turning point came in 1964 with two important solo exhibitions in Florence and Forte dei Marmi.

In the course of his career, Bettarini has held around ninety solo exhibitions, showing in prestigious venues such as the Vatican Museum in Rome, the Prado in Madrid, and in numerous cities in Canada, France, Spain, and Switzerland. Among his awards, prominent are the Vatican's 1986 commission to create the official portrait of Pope John Paul II and the creation of a Via Crucis for the Abbey of Vallombrosa (1984-1985). He has won over twenty national prizes in Italy and in America.
Oil on canvas 70 x 100 cm
Year 1977