Italian, 1896-1978

Mangravite was born in 1896, on Lipari, an island north of Sicily, where his father, a naval officer, was stationed. As a child he began a traditional Italian art education in Carrara. Mangravite and his family later immigrated to the United States, but the painter returned to Italy and then studied briefly in Paris. Back in New York in 1914, Mangravite took classes at the Cooper Union Art School, but in 1917 he transferred to the Art Students League, where he worked under Robert Henri, who perhaps influenced Mangravite to choose themes that were heartfelt and based upon his personal experiences.

While Mangravite’s works from the 1920s were dark in mood, his works from the 1930s and 1940s were intensely lyrical. His paintings were exhibited widely, and he was the recipient of a number of awards, including Guggenheim Fellowships in 1932 and 1935. In 1938 his work was included in the Venice Biennale in Italy, and in the following year he received an award in the Golden Gate International Exhibition.

Education
1917 Art Students League New York, New York, USA

Awards
1926
Gold medal for mural painting at the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exhibition

1939
American Gold Medal Purchase Prize, Golden Gate Exposition, San Francisco

1946
Alice McFadden Eyre Medal for best print, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

1955
Silver medal for mosaic design, Architectural League of New York

1932 and 1935
Guggenheim Fellowships