Sirio Tofanari Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Sirio Tofanari was born in Florence on April 9, 1886, and died in Milan on October 12, 1969. He was an Italian sculptor known for his works depicting animals. Read the full biography

Sirio Tofanari Biography

Sirio Tofanari was born in Florence on April 9, 1886, and died in Milan on October 12, 1969. He was an Italian sculptor known for his works depicting animals.

Son of Ludovico Tofanari and Rosa Salvi Ricciarini, Sirio showed a vivid interest in animal figures from a young age and an innate ability to represent them in a plastic way. After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence for a year, he traveled to Paris and later to London, where he could study and observe animals live. This experience led him to master the features and movements of numerous animals.

Tofanari's works have been exhibited in prestigious national and international exhibitions, achieving considerable success. In 1926, he created the "Fountain of the Crocodiles" in Montecatini Terme, which became a symbol of the city. He received numerous awards and honors for his art, including the title of Knight and the appointment as a National Academic of the National Academy of San Luca in Rome. Sirio Tofanari was a self-taught, artistic loner who developed a personal style characterized by an evolution from the liveliness of impressionism to the classicism of forms.
Tofanari's works are mainly portraits of animals, often captured in moments of serene tranquility or affectionate family intimacy. Towards the end of his life, he also devoted himself to bas-reliefs with religious subjects, showing a re-approach to a traditional mystical sense.