"It first began with reading about the RMS Titanic when I was eight or nine, I was captivated by the story and by the ship herself and I would spend numerous hours drawing scenes of her and recreating her blueprints. I knew that ship backwards and forewords." It wasn't until his high school years that Mark first began to get interested in the civil war. "When I saw the movie GLORY for the first time I was completely engrossed in finding out as much as I could about the Civil War era. I would spend hours in the school library reading about the battles and drawing battle scenes. It was at that time I found a book Titled "Antietam a photographic legacy of America's Bloodiest day " by William A. Frassonito. This book compared photos taken of the carnage after the battle of Antietam that were photographed two days after that battle with modern photos of the areas: that synched it for me." It was this love for drawing and history has led Mark Maritato to pursue a career in art. He formally studied art and painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn NY. It was there where he developed his talent through long model sessions and hours of anatomy study. He studied under the tutelage of working professors and Illustrators like Joseph A Smith, Sal Montano, Don Albright, Peter Fiore, and Tom Lapadula. "I think I've learned more through the other students there than from any one professor. Everyone had their own thing going for themselves and everyone appreciated what the other one was doing. Weather another student was and abstract painter or a realist, everyone learned from each other. I would make it a point to visit as many student shows as possible so that I could learn what I could about the other artists work. No matter how off the wall a particular show was; the way I saw it, even abstract art can teach you something, whether it's composition or the use of color and texture. In my view, even an extremely detailed and realistic painting is composed of a number of smaller abstract paintings put together." It was when he was a student at Pratt that Mark first began to paint military subjects. His first major battle scene was "Heart of Texas" which depicts the confederate 1st Texas regiment in their desperate fight in the Miller's Cornfield during the battle of Antietam. Since then he has created many interesting scenes of the civil war and continues to improve upon his craft. "My belief is that you must do your research to get the details right. To attempt an historical piece of artwork with out doing your homework in my opinion is not doing the people you are trying to portray the justice they deserve. The men and women of the civil war or any war era for that matter gave of themselves in the way that cannot and must not be forgotten. It is only fair to them that I as a military artist do my best to get the details as correct as possible." Many of Mark Maritato's originals now reside in various private collections around the country. His works have steadily gained interest among collectors for their high quality and detail. All of Mark Maritato's oils are painted using only the highest quality paints and materials. His formal training comes through in his painting style and attention to detail, which is in the tradition of the world's finest military art. Mark Maritato's "Vortex of Hell" Painting depicting the 5th New York Duryee's Zouaves has been reproduced in a museum display for the National historic battlefield park at Manassas Virginia. The display resides at the Stuart's Hill Visitor's Center and illustrates the role of the 5th New York Zouaves at the second battle of Manassas fought in 1862. The original painting now residing in the collection of noted civil war historian and author Brian C. Pohanka. Other publications of Mark Maritato's work Include America's Civil War Magazine. Mark Maritato strives to create historical artwork of enduring poignancy and the highest quality. "It is through artistic vision and historical accuracy that we remember the heroes of our past. My ultimate goal is to continue to create exciting paintings that are considered true visions that bring the drama of our great military past to life" About the artist Mark Maritato |
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