Born in Italy, March 23, 1888, Antonio Cirino came to the United States as a child of three. He had talents for painting, writing, teaching, and designing jewelry. In the 1920s, he discovered Rockport, Massachusetts, and began living there in the summers and in Providence, Rhode Island the remainder of the year.

He attended the Rhode Island School of Design from 1904-1909 and later taught there. He received a Bachelors of Science Degree from Columbia Teachers College in 1912. He studied art in Italy and was a pupil of Arthur Wesley Dow. Antonio Cirino was a founding member of the Rockport Art Association.

Cirino designed a 14 karat gold key to the city of Providence, Rhode Island, which was awarded to General Amardo Diaz, for Italy's efforts in the First World War, 1914-1918. He published a book on jewelry design in 1939 and completed a thirteen volume compilation of illustration in America (1855-1912) with a forward which he wrote. This book was privately bound.

Cirino joined the Salmagundi Club of New York City in 1926 as a non-resident Artist Member. He actively contributed to the exhibitions until his death, November 28, 1983.

He was a committed plein-air painter, loving the feeling of working directly from nature. He bequeathed the majority of his work to the Rockport Art Association, and it became the cornerstone of their growing collection. Many fine examples of Cirino's work were bequeathed to the Salmagundi Museum as well.

-courtesy of Ilene Skeen, Library Committee, Salmagundi Museum. She credits the member records of the Salmagundi Club.