Occasionally, a great painter comes along who receives little or no public acclaim for a lifetime's worth of extraordinary art. Hector Serbaroli was that kind of artist.
A prolific 20th century painter, his quest to create art took him on an odyssey spanning seven decades from his early training in Italy to his years in Mexico, northern California and later at the motion picture studios of Hollywood. Blessed with extraordinary versatility, he could produce landscapes, seascapes, portraits, historical scenes and religious scenes in a variety of styles and in various media.
His works can be admired today in many public places, but most of his finest works adorn the walls of churches, particularly in Los Angeles. At the same time, few of those who view his creations every Sunday in California know who produced the works, or know anything about the artist himself.
He was born Ettore Serbaroli in Rome on Jan. 7, 1881. At about age 12, his mother passed away, and his father put him in a boys' home known as the Ospizio di San Michele in Rome. In Ospizio's disciplined setting, the sensitive boy was able to focus his considerable abilities. He studied with master painters like Alessandro Raggi and Alessandro Ceccarini, honed his skills for years, and eventually won the prestigious Gold Medal of general excellence in art from San Michele.
Soon, he earned himself a chance to work with the famous fresco painter Cesare Maccari (1840-1919) on the magnificent Basilica of Loreto, and collaborated with Maccari on the awe-inspiring murals that today grace the basilica's cupola.
At age 26, he traveled to Mexico to work on several churches. Later he was summoned north to the city of Chihuahua by its Governor to head the extensive decorative work on government buildings including the Governor's palace. While there, he met and fell in love with Josefina Sini, a dark haired, petite, 31-year-old "Chihuahuense" of European descent, whom he married in 1912.
But the Mexican Revolution erupted into a bloody civil war, and Serbaroli, his wife, mother-in-law and newborn daughter Judith were forced to flee Mexico in 1913. Leaving behind most of their personal possessions, they went to San Francisco, where he was commissioned to paint oversized oil paintings on canvas depicting important events in the history of California or scenes relating to the San Francisco Bay area. These served as models for murals that would beautify the California Building, including the Baptism of Chief Marin at Mission San Raphael.
His association with the Catholic Church in San Rafael resulted in a commission to produce paintings of the "Stations of the Cross" for the old Mission Church. These oils on canvas depicting the final events of Christ's life, death and resurrection --- painted with tremendous empathy and emotion --- adorn the walls of the church to this day, having weathered Northern California's typically wide-ranging temperatures and high humidity along with earthquakes and a fire over the decades.
In 1925 Serbaroli was commissioned to work on the interior of William Randolph Hearst's castle being constructed at San Simeon. His four years' work included original designs, embellishments and restoration of many priceless antique artworks that Hearst acquired over the years in Europe. Later he worked for Hollywood studios --- Warner Brothers, RKO, Paramount and 20th Century Fox.
By the early 1940s, from an artistic standpoint, Serbaroli was becoming disenchanted with much of his movie studio work, and began shifting his focus more toward ecclesiastical art. From the late 1930s to 1951, he worked on murals and paintings for over a dozen churches in Los Angeles and the Bay area. Among those that can still be viewed today are:
---Holy Family Church, South Pasadena: Altar murals of the Assumption of Our Lady and the Death of St. Joseph.
---St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Altadena: Sanctuary decorations, angel heads.
---St. Andrew Church, Pasadena: Archbishop's Chapel.
---Cathedral Chapel, Los Angeles: Stations of the Cross.
---St. Monica, Santa Monica: Murals in the dome and on the walls.
---St. John's Seminary, Camarillo: Murals in the oratory and chapel.
---Immaculate Conception Church, Los Angeles: Murals in the Rosary Chapel (1946).
---First Lutheran Church, W. Sixth St., L.A.: The Last Supper.
---Good Shepherd Church, Beverly Hills: Stained glass windows design.
By the late 1940s, however, Serbaroli was almost blind from cataracts, which severely limited his ability to paint. He returned to Rome in 1950, and underwent operations that restored his eyesight in one eye, so that he could continue to pursue his art. In the interim, his daughter Judith had become a fine painter, and was instrumental in assisting him with his work on several of the churches.
On Dec. 19, 1951, just three weeks short of his 71st birthday, Hector Serbaroli's eyes --- the windows through which his inspiration flowed during his life --- closed for the last time. Accompanied by a small and intimate group of family and friends as mourners, this simple man, this wonderfully talented and accomplished artist, was brought to Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles to rest after a long and fruitful existence. In his wake, he left a tremendous legacy of religious art and timeless beauty for all to enjoy today. Joseph A. Serbaroli, Jr., the grandson of Hector Serbaroli, lives in Yonkers, N.Y. He is currently working on a biography of the artist.
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