The following information was submitted in June of 2007 by the artist's grand-daughter Laura Mingo-Bonati:

Dante E. Bonati (1894 – 1984)

Dante E. Bonati was born in Buenos Aires on April 23, 1894. When he was six years old his family relocated to La Spezia, the capital city of Liguria, in the Gulf of Genoa, where he attended elementary and secondary school.  From the very beginning, he exhibited a marked interest in draftsmanship. This interest was enhanced with lessons from Profesor Santini de Ceparana and also with private lessons, which he took from Capuchin monk Friar Francesco, the art teacher at his school.
     
He returned to Argentina in 1918, and entered the Asociación Estímulo de Bellas Artes [Association for the Development of Fine Arts], where he received advice and lessons from renowned artists such as Raúl Mazza, Mario Anganuzzi, Enrique de Larrañaga, Arturo Dresco and Juan Carlos Oliva Navarro. Later, under the guidance of renowned marinas painter Justo Lynch, he started making paintings of the Riachuelo (the mouth of the River Plate) and the Paraná Delta. Following these works, he embarked on a spiritual, creative journey and began addressing many different themes including: marinas, mountain and valley landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and genre paintings, (both indoors and outdoors). In all of these works, he incorporated a symphony of interesting nuances and employed a wide range of colors.
     
As his artistry grew, he combined his interest in painting with his other great passion, music. He became a member of the group “Cien Guitarras Argentinas” [One Hundred Argentinean Guitars], which successfully debuted at the internationally known Colón Theatre in Buenos Aires, and was conducted by famous performer and composer Antonio Sinópoli.
     
He returned briefly to Italy in 1924, with the purpose of expanding his artistic skills. He traveled to La Spezia and many other cities in the peninsula, including, Rome, Milan, Florence, Genoa, Turin and Venice, where he visited museums and the workshops of renowned artists. Upon returning from this successful tour armed with a vast well of newly acquired knowledge, he devoted himself to painting with great enthusiasm; however, due to his highly self critical and demanding nature and extreme modesty, he kept his works from the public eye.
     
His professional debut did not occur until 1941 when, urged by his friends and colleagues, he finally agreed to present his works to the public. His exhibition at the Salones de Arte de la Municipalidad de Buenos Aires [Art Salon of the Municipality of Buenos Aires] was  an amazing success; his work was embraced by metropolitan art critics and collectors alike; in glowing terms, the former raved about the emergence of a bold, new genius, while the latter purchased every piece available for sale.
     
Encouraged by such warm reception of his work he devoted himself exclusively to painting and traveled all over the country, setting up several small exhibitions in different cities in the interior of the Republic. In 1944, having achieved full artistic maturity, his work was presented at the Salón Nacional [National Arts Salon]. Subsequent to that he participated in the most elite private and oficial art halls of the Republic, receiving numerous accolades, including:
     
-Grand Prize at the XXXIV Salón de Artes Plásticas de Rosario [XXXIV Art Salon in Rosario];

-“Carlos Meabe” Award at the Salón del Poema Ilustrado de Martín Fierro, 1954 [Martín Fierro Art Salon];

-First Honorable Mention at the Salón de Arte Sacro, 1954 [Sacred Art Salon];

-Silver Medal and Guest of Honor at the Salón Médico de Cultura Artística, 1954 [Doctors in Art Salon];

-Second Prize and Gold Medal for the Best Delta Painting, at the Salón de San Fernando [San Fernando Salon];

-Third Prize “Liga Naval Argentina” [Argentine Navy Society];

-First Honorable Mention at the exhibition held at the Salón Banco Municipal de Buenos Aires [Buenos Aires Municipal Bank Art Salon];

-Special Mention at the XXXII Salón in Rosario;

-Silver Medal and Guest of Honor at the Salón of Chivilcoy;

-Second Prize at the Parque de los Derechos de la Ancianidad [Rights for the Elderly Park Exhibition];

-First Grand Prize at the Concurso de Manchas República de San Telmo [Republic of San Telmo’s Small Paintings Contest], 1956;

-First Grand Prize at the Concurso de Manchas República de San Telmo, 1960;

-Gold Medal, Aeronáutica Argentina [Argentine Aeronautics Society], 1954.
     
In addition to amassing a substantial volume of paintings, he also did illustrations for the famous gaucho genre book Martín Fierro.  Several of his other works have appeared in newspapers, magazines and on the face of the National Lottery tickets. He acted as an arts judge in many official and private artistic contests.
     
At 90 years of age, surrounded by the love and affection of family and friends, Dante Bonati passed away on December 20, 1984.  As befits the Renaissance gentleman he was, he embraced his end with the class and dignity that had characterized his life.
     
      Several museums in Argentina own his works, including, Museo de Bellas Artes [Fine Arts Museum]; Juan B. Castagnino Museum in Rosario; Pedro Mendoza Museum, Fernando Fader Museum, Luis Perlotti Museum, Antonio Alice Museum in the capital city of Buenos Aires; Quinquela Martín Museum, in La Boca; Municipal Museum of Junín, Museum of La Pampa, Museo Histórico de San Telmo [History Museum of San Telmo], Vicente López Museum, in the province of Buenos Aires, Casa de la Provincia de Neuquén en Buenos Aires [Neuquen Provincial Offices in Buenos Aires], Casa Argentina en Israel [Argentine Salon in Israel], Casa Parroquial de Carlos Paz, Cordoba [Parish House in Carlos Paz]; Museum Ceferino Carnacini, Villa Ballester, Province of Buenos Aires; Ministerio de Hacienda [Ministry of the Treasury] in the Province of Buenos Aires, Casino de Oficiales [Officers’Casino] in Junín de los Andes, Casino de Oficiales in Salta, Teléfonos del Estado [State Telephone Company], Museum of Aeronautics, Argentina, Salón de Destacamento de la Patagonia [Patagonia’s Military Art Salon], in Bahía Blanca, and others. Also, Bonati’s works form part of several public and private collections and also appear at the Argentinean Consulate in Denmark and at the Embassy of Argentina in Paris.
      

Sources:
Diccionario Gran Enciclopedia Argentina by Santillán
Diccionario de Artistas Plásticos de la Argentina by Adrián Merlino
El Riachuelo, inspiración de artistas by Carlos A. Foglia
Quién es quién en la Argentina (Kraft Publishers)
National Archives of the Republic of Argentina
Enciclopedia del Arte en América
Bibliography OMEBA
Historical archives of the Biennale de Venezia
Internet: Catálogo Digital del Patrimonio Cultural del Ministerio de Cultura de La República Argentina.[Digital Catalog of the Artistic Patrimony of the Argentine Ministry of Culture]  http://www.acceder.buenosaires.gov.ar