Bid Smart: Antonio Cirino had an eye for New England’s captivating scenery

‘Sailboards in harbor’ earned $6,400 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2022 at Salmagundi Club. Image courtesy of Salmagundi Club and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK — Antonio Cirino (1888-1983) is best known for his lush and jewel-toned landscapes, particularly of the Cape Ann/Rockport, Massachusetts coastline. Emigrating from Italy as a toddler, he grew up in the Italian American section of Providence, R.I., and first set foot in Rockport in the 1920s. He then regularly summered here while spending winters in Providence. This was during the height of the Progressive Era when artists began flocking to idyllic and scenic places throughout the Northeast to paint. Artist colonies were established in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Long Island, Cape Cod and the Catskills to name a few. The Cape Ann and Rockport/Gloucester areas were particularly appealing to artists and many flocked here.

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Battery Park landscape tops Salmagundi Club’s April 8-9 auction

Joseph McGurl, ‘Evening Light on the River,’ $3,450
Joseph McGurl, ‘Evening Light on the River,’ $3,450
Joseph McGurl, ‘Evening Light on the River,’ $3,450

NEW YORK – The Salmagundi Club hosted its first in-person public auction in more than two years with a successful two-day fundraising auction event on April 8 and April 9. Both sessions were held live at the club’s 1854-built townhouse headquarters on Fifth Avenue. The auction featured all-original portraits, still lifes, landscapes, photography and works from other genres, with all purchases supporting both the artists and the club.

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Salmagundi shines light on Antonio Cirino’s jewelry design drawings

Jewelry illustration from the collection of Antonio Cirino, who is the focus of Dazzle: Jewelry Drawings from the Antonio Cirino Collection. The show is on view at the Salmagundi Club in New York through January 31, 2022.
Jewelry illustration from the collection of Antonio Cirino, who is the focus of Dazzle: Jewelry Drawings from the Antonio Cirino Collection. The show is on view at the Salmagundi Club in New York through January 31, 2022.
Jewelry illustration from the collection of Antonio Cirino, the focus of Dazzle: Jewelry Drawings from the Antonio Cirino Collection. The show is now on view at the Salmagundi Club in New York.

NEW YORK – Salmagundi non-resident artist-member Antonio Cirino (Italian and American, 1889-1983) was an important part of Salmagundi from 1926 to 1983, spanning 57 years. The gifted Rhode Island School of Design graduate was a prolific painter, jewelry designer, writer and teacher. The club is currently honoring Cirino with the exhibit Dazzle: Jewelry Drawings from the Antonio Cirino Collection, on view in its Print Gallery. The show opened on November 15 and runs through January 31, 2022.

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