Who Is Anthony Gentile?

It all began on the 7th of march, twenty two years ago. The artist, Anthony Gentile, comes from a traditional Catholic Italian-American household, from northern New Jersey. Though he himself would rarely be described as “traditional” and is often, proudly, the strangest man in the room.

He has a deep love for history, specifically the Renaissance-Baroque eras of southern Europe. He prefers to source his inspiration in person, to surround himself with the very history he loves. Anthony is an avid antique collector, specializing primarily in antiquarian books. He has collected hundreds of books, texts, and prints from the late medieval period all the way through the end of World War II.

His artistic works are accompanied by other creative skills. Anthony has a deep passion for historical fashion and costume design, preferring to make most of his own clothing. He is also a prolific writer, accompanying his artistic works frequently with written counterparts.

Much of Anthony’s inspiration comes from his own family’s history. The family’s lineage traces back to the early Florentine Republic, with various figures being involved in the arts, the Catholic Church and the occult.

Many of Anthony’s artistic works feature aesthetics and subjects related to his aforementioned interests. In addition to this, Anthony has a passionate obsession with illustrating rabbits & hares. Raising and caring for elven rabbits over the course of his childhood had a lasting impact on him. The rabbits of his youth frequently feature as subjects in his works. The lagomorph has always been a source of mystery and magic for mankind, often portrayed as a symbol of otherworldliness, magic, and trickery. Anthony uses the rabbits no differently in his work.

“In a way, every rabbit and hare I have drawn or painted, is in one way or another- a self portrait. I’ve for sure illustrated maybe a hundred of them, more than I can remember, in not much time at all. But in each and every single one, is a picture of me at the time I have created it. And I’m sure by time I part ways, there will be hundreds more.” ~Anthony Gentile

Anthony attended the Fashion Institute of Technology for illustration, graduating in 2025. During his time at FIT, he studied abroad in Florence, Italy, at Polimoda. There he completed an extensive course on art history and tempera painting. He spent his time in Italy studying in the galleries of Florence and spending time with family. After graduating, Anthony has continued to keep up with illustration work, whilst also branching out into fine art.