Bernardino Ficarelli

The Painter (and the Santa Helena Group)

In the decade of 30 Bernardino Ficarelli progressively stopped his decorations, turning to designs and oil paintings. He used to get around with his friends painters at his home and on week-ends went around to paint. He first established his studio at his home, where he was frequently visited by Alfredo Volpi, Francisco Rebolo, Mario Zanini and other painters who consulted Ficarelli's large art library that he had formed since 1928, a vast artistic material that included ceramics. In 1933 he established his studio at the Santa Helena Building in downtown São Paulo around 1933. Soon he fraternized with artists of the future "Família Artística Paulista" (Artistic Family of São Paulo) that later became the "Grupo Santa Helena" (Santa Helena Group).

He attended courses of live models in the "Sociedade Paulista de Belas Artes" (São Paulo Society of Fine Arts). Realized one individual exhibition in 1939 (landscapes and nude studies) and during the decade of 40, participated of several exhibitions in the "Salões Paulistas de Belas Artes" and "Associação Paulista de Belas Artes". He died in São Paulo in November 11, 1960.

According to Walter Zanini ( see references ), Bernardino Ficarelli “created landscapes with some impressionist technical characteristics. The painter had a collection of books with facsimile reproductions of pre-impressionist and impressionist painters, which was probably visited and handled by Alfredo Volpi and many other artists. In 1933, Ficarelli installed his studio in the Santa Helena Palace - before 1934 - therefore, before the date that Walter Zanini establishes for the beginning of the building's occupation by members of the future Santa Helena Group. And, although less frequently than the group's main painters, he participated in salons and had an individual exhibition in 1939."

The Paintings