Robert De Niro Sr. was a talented and influential painter who was part of the Abstract Expressionist movement in post-war America. He was also the father of the famous actor Robert De Niro Jr., who inherited his artistic passion and talent. But how did Robert De Niro Sr. die and what was his cause of death? Here is what we know about his life, career, and death.
Early Life and Career
Robert De Niro Sr. was born on May 3, 1922, in Syracuse, New York, to an Irish-American mother and an Italian-American father. He showed an early interest and talent in art, and enrolled in adult classes at the Syracuse Museum when he was only five years old. He later studied at Black Mountain College under Josef Albers, and at Provincetown, Massachusetts, under Hans Hofmann, who influenced his development as an abstract expressionist painter.
In 1942, he married Virginia Admiral, a fellow painter and student of Hofmann. They moved to a loft in Greenwich Village, New York, where they were able to paint and mingle with other artists and writers, such as Anaïs Nin, Henry Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Valeska Gert. Their son, Robert De Niro Jr., was born in August 1943. However, the couple separated shortly after, as De Niro Sr. came out as gay and had a relationship with the poet Robert Duncan.
De Niro Sr. had his first solo exhibition at Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century gallery in 1946, where he showed his abstract paintings that often had figural references. He was influenced by the French modernist painters, such as Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso, as well as by his abstract expressionist contemporaries, such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still. He experimented with vivid colors, expressive brushstrokes, and representational themes.
Later Years and Death
De Niro Sr. continued to paint throughout his life, but he struggled to gain recognition and financial stability in the changing art scene of the 1950s and 1960s. He felt overshadowed by the popularity of abstract expressionism and pop art, and by the success of his son’s acting career. He also suffered from depression and anxiety, which affected his personal relationships and his health.
He moved to Paris in 1961, where he lived for several years and exhibited his paintings at various galleries. He returned to New York in 1964, where he rented a studio in SoHo that he kept until his death. He also taught painting at Cooper Union from 1971 to 1983.
De Niro Sr. died of cancer on May 3, 1993, on his 71st birthday, at his home in Manhattan. He was buried at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. His son dedicated his directorial debut film A Bronx Tale (1993) to him.
Legacy and Recognition
De Niro Sr.’s paintings are now considered as important contributions to American art history and are held in many public and private collections around the world.
His son has also been instrumental in preserving and promoting his father’s legacy.
De Niro Sr.’s paintings are admired for their unique blend of abstraction and representation, their expressive use of color and form, and their personal reflection of the artist’s emotions and experiences. He was a painter who stayed true to his vision and passion, despite the challenges he faced in his life and career.
