Count Mario Grixoni (1879–1946) was born into a noble family in Genoa, Italy. Son and nephew of senior officers in the Army and Navy, the young Grixoni also embarked on a Naval career. His ancestry, however, also included Italian artists of renown, and at a young age his drawings attracted the attention of Grosso. Grixoni was soon to devote himself solely to his art and aged twenty-three he arrived in London with little money and three young children to support. He was to stay in London for over a quarter of a century, during which time he became close friends with leading portraitists John Singer Sargent and William Orpen. Grixoni also became known for his portraits, which retained the charm and grace of the Italian school style. He exhibited at the Royal Academy in London and the Salon de Paris, was a member of The Chelsea Arts Club, the St Johns Wood Arts Club, and was part of the Council of the Pastel Society and the Council of the Arts Club.
