Pino Daeni | Artist

Pino Daeni

Pino Daeni (November 8, 1939 – May 25, 2010) was an Italian-American book illustrator and artist. He is known for his style of feminine, romantic women and strong men painted with loose but accurate brushwork. Considered one of the highest paid book illustrators of his time, he created over 3,000 book covers, movie posters and magazine illustrations.

Born Giuseppe Dangelico Daeni in Bari, Italy, in November 8, 1939, his talents were recognized by his first grade teacher, who advised Pino’s father, Tommaso Dangelico, to encourage his son’s artistic precociousness. However, Tommaso remained skeptical of his son’s future as an artist. He was a self-taught artist. Eventually, Pino enrolled at the Art Institute of Bari, then went on to Milan’s Academy of Brera in 1960, where he honed his craft for painting from the live nude.