Art of the Italian Churches

It was an amazing achievement, we can say in retrospect – the construction and decoration of so many splendid Catholic churches between 1830 and 1940 throughout New York City and its surroundings. Italian churches occupy a special place here. Relative latecomers to the church building movement , the Italian immigrants succeeded in crafting a series of extravagantly colorful confections overflowing with paintings and statues. Just in Manhattan we have Our Lady of Pompeii, Our Lady of Peace (recently taken away from its congregation and transferred to the Copts), Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Most Precious Blood. in these works the overall effect takes precedence over the quality of the individual works of art. But who were the artists who worked on these churches – a fast disappearing part of our Catholic inheritance?

Donatus Buongiorno was one such artist whose work forms a major component of the decorative scheme of two of these New York City churches. Currently there is an exhibition of his works at the rectory Gallery of Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 263 Mulberry Street, New York. In his secular paintings Buongiorno seems to have specialized in genre scenes typical of that era: peasants, mothers, children etc. But you will have to wander further down Mulberry street to Most Precious Blood church to see Buongiorno’s murals on the life of Christ and Franciscan Saints.

Our thanks to Janice Carapellucci, the curator of the exhibition, who has worked so hard over the years to preserve the memory and works of Donatus Buongiorno. The exhibition lasts until May 11. The following events are scheduled:

 Thurs, May 2, 6-8 pm: Olga Nikolic-Litwin—Why Paintings Need Conservators

Paintings often migrate far from where they were created and are damaged along the way. Nikolic-Litwin, conservator of paintings and icons, will show some common changes on paintings and techniques for restoring, and will share how she collaborates closely with clients to create treatment plans for their artwork.

Saturday, May 4, 3-4 pm; Wednesday, May 8, 6-7 pm: Daniella Day—Docent Talk in the Gallery About the Paintings, the Artist, and His Context

Enjoy a docent-led exploration of the exhibit and related subjects with long-time Little Italy resident Daniella Day, contemporary artist and museum educator at several New York institutions. Inspired by her own ancestors who emigrated to Little Italy from Avellino and Calabria at the turn of the 20th century, Daniella’s background in fine arts, art history, and restoration, combined with her skill at storytelling with an Italian American flair, provide an intimate and engaging experience of the exhibition in relationship to the neighborhood.

Asite devoted to the artist is HERE. For more on the Exhibit see HERE.