Townscape, 1980 oil on board, 10" × 12" |
The Orchard, 1995 oil on board, 10" × 12" |
Newmarket, Ontario, 1983 oil on board, 10" × 12" |
Stormy Sea 1980 oil on board, 12" × 14" |
The Red Roof Barn 1993 oil on board, 12" × 14" |
Approaching Storm, 1984 oil on board, 9" × 12" |
Evening Sky oil on board, 12" × 14" |
Soffiare, 1974 oil on board, 10" × 12" |
Holland Marsh, 1984 oil on board, 8" × 10" |
Mid-August Sunset, 1980 oil on board, 12" × 14" |
Albert Chiarandini, O.S.A., F.I.A.L. (1915-2007)
Albert Chiarandini was born on September 30, 1915, in the city of Udine, in northern Italy. He arrived in Canada in 1932 at the age of seventeen. He enrolled at the Ontario College of Art, where he studies under the guidance of Franklin Carmichael, and Frederick Challener, among others. In 1938, his first portrait was accepted into the Ontario Society of Artists Annual Show.
Always wanting to portray people in their environment, observing their instincts, mannerisms and lifestyles, he painted several series of large portraits depicting the diversity of the human condition. He would search and recruit models from Allan Gardens in Toronto, and from the streets surrounding the Salvation Army.
In 1967, he began painting in the area of Yorkville Avenue, in Toronto. With paint and canvas, he captured the face of political turmoil and the dynamic changes in Yorkville. He found here a different attitude to record and portray: a driven younger generation full of idealism, equality and peace. He created a series of portraits of young hippies, transient and searching.
He also painted landscapes, capturing scenes of rural life. From today's perspective, he has created a powerful gift of historical documentation and beauty, showing us what the countryside around Toronto looked like before it was built over by the ever-expanding suburbs of the city.
Chiarandini died in 2007, in Toronto.