Virgilio Tojetti (1849-1901)

VIRGILIO TOJETTI (1849-1901) Painter and muralist. Virgilio Tojetti was born in Rome, Italy on March 15, 1849, the son of Domenico Tojetti and brother to Eduardo Tojetti. Virgilio was a pupil of his father and later studied in Paris with Gérome and Bouguereau. The Tojetti family left Rome in 1867 and lost all possessions when their ship wrecked while sailing around the Horn. They lived in Guatemala until 1871 when they then moved and settled in San Francisco. In 1883, Virgilio moved to New York City where he painted murals in the Savoy Hotel, Hoffman House and others. He became popular in the East as a painter of genre scenes and frescoes. Tojetti died of Bright’s disease in New York City on March 26, 1901. Exhibited: NAD, 1883; Mechanics’ Inst. (SF), 1888. In: Society of Calif. Pioneers.