Franco Gentilini (1909 -1981) was born in Faenza Italy, where he trained as a ceramist by attending Gaetano Ballardini’s courses. In the 1920s he undertook drawing studies at the Minardi school. His passion for the Impressionists movement led him to Paris in 1930, and in the same year he presented a work at the 17th Venice Biennale.In the 1940s, Gentilini flanked his painting with an intense graphic production, collaborating with several magazines and he participated in numerous festivals and exhibitions, obtaining significant prizes including the Premio Presidente della Repubblica awarded in 1968. His works are part of important public and private collections.