With its precious heritage of history, competence and knowledge, Il Bisonte is a site of international excellence for training in the field of printmaking and the meeting place for artists from all over the world.
Founded in 1959 by Maria Luigia Guaita, Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti and Enrico Vallecchi, Il Bisonte represents a unicum in the field of graphic art at the national level and an artistic excellence recognized worldwide. Soffici, Carrà, Severini, Maccari, Moreni, and Carmassi were among the first artists invited by Maria Luigia Guaita to produce their works in lithographic editions, followed by Moore, Calder, Arroyo, Matta, Picasso and many others.
The Foundation covers an area of about 700 square meters spread over three buildings in the historical center of Florence and currently consists of: an international school equipped with 8 technical laboratories, an art gallery, a specialized library, the historical archive and the current archive of donations.
The International School has been operating since 1983 in the San Niccolò district, training students who are able not only to apply printmaking techniques and processes but also to teach them in turn and run a print workshop.
To date, under the leadership of President Simone Guaita, the Il Bisonte Foundation has expanded its offerings, configuring itself to all intents and purposes as a cultural and creative hub, a generative space of artistic training and production capable of combining the art of artistic “know-how” with the most contemporary expressive instances.
With its precious heritage of history, competence and knowledge, Il Bisonte is a site of international excellence for training in the field of printmaking and the meeting place for artists from all over the world.
The printmaking school in Florence, founded by Maria Luigia Guaita and placed in the most historical and suggestive district, represents one of the principal activity of the Foudation.
Here, treasures of knowledge are maintained and handed down by educating young artists to grasp the expressive possibilities of their time while respecting the noblest traditions of printmaking, adopting an open, customized, and non-conformist method of instruction.