Arrigo del Rigo was born in Prato on the 14th of June 1908. When he was twelve he moved to Corfù with his parents, where he stayed until 1921. During this period he painted his first landscape paintings, which reflected his artistic attitude (that even as a child, distinguished him from his contemporaries). He returned to Tuscany, after a short stay in Venice, where he enrolled in the Institute of Art in Porta Romana (Florence): where, Libero Andreotti taught sculpture, and Giovanni Costetti taught painting. In the years' 1922-1925 he received his first education. In 1927 he met Ardengo Soffici, who influenced some aspects of his works, and fortified the artistic education from the Institute. Arrigo began to show his own artistic personality in his landscape paintings: looking for more than just the form, he was interested in representing the atmosphere of the places and the sense of belonging. His attention, though, concentrated on the human face, in which he could see the psychological tension of the character. In 1927 he painted some beautiful portraits. The landscapes and the still life's that were also from that period, are painted in a "lyrical" style, a sort of dreaming realism. During these years, Bontempelli's painting "Novecento", showed the magic aspect of daily life, and Maccari's "Selvaggio", exalted the cult of the earth, and the font of healthiness and poetry. Although Del Rigo, had already shown to have his own personality: he was far-removed from the celebration of peasant's life and subjects do not have magical shadows on them; instead he seemed to be interested in sharing in the aspects of reality (sorrow, happiness). Since 1927, he loved representing the events of daily life, besides still natures, landscapes and portraits: it was a real passion for him to follow the several aspects of real life, never being detached from it. The ordinary events, and the common life are represented without emphasis, just showing their true aspect. Now, a short account of his life: In April 1929, the young painter enlisted in the Army (1st regiment of the Grenadiers, based in Rome, Rioffredo and Parma). It was a serene moment in his life and he had many satisfactions from his work (for example he had to decorate the house of the Grenadier). Once he had finished the military service he returned to Prato, but he was never to rediscover the serenity of the precedent period. In 1931 he was arrested, accused of subversive political activity. His jail mates were famous people of that time: Fiorelli, Gallo, Tintori. After his liberation he always had the worry about the Fascist regimen suspects on him, and had to find a place to stay. However the work still went very well: the wonderful "Portrait of the father", is dated 1931-32. Unexpectedly, on the 26th of February 1932 Arrigo del Rigo committed suicide. In December 1939, Ardengo Soffici wrote about his death: "So modest as he was, he probably wasn't supported in that terrible moment, by the conscience of his value. His death deprived his parents of a beloved son, his friends of an unforgettable companion, and Italian art of a luminous hope".