Irene Veronica Marcello, or "Rene” (pronounced Ree-nee) as her family called her, was the next youngest of seven sisters and two brothers, born to a Hungarian immigrant family that settled in Philadelphia, PA.
Irene was born on September 8, 1930. Bright and beautiful, Irene went to Girls' High (Girls High School of Philadelphia), where she earned two scholarship offers. One was to Vasser, which she could not accept because her poor immigrant family could not possibly afford to support her there.
But that was fine for Irene because the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Barnes School suited her just fine. It was close to her home, and she could easily attend. All she really wanted to do was to pursue her artistic talent.
Irene Veronica Marcello was a cerebral artist. Her works tended to feature concepts such as essence, symbolism, subtlety, and hidden meaning. Her sense of color was intuitive and crafted not from the technical reconstruction of natural light so much as from her own imagination.
Esoteric is the only way to describe her work. It exuded a kind of intellectual depth that can only be likened to the way poetry exceeds normal prose, despite its brevity, while still producing a profound eloquence in its simplicity.
Above all the unmistakable, undeniable presence of pure femininity always shines through in every way. The perfect example of “A Woman’s Touch,” soft and subtle while packed with meaning.
Irene was always ahead of the curve, both intellectually and socially. She was a feminist before the term was ever coined. She came years before Gloria Steinem or even Betty Friedan.
At school, Irene considered herself “Bohemian,” a movement that came well before the beatniks. She dressed in a pencil skirt and tight sweater, clam diggers and short shorts, well before they became the style. Only her music wasn’t Elvis and Rock and Roll, but rather Sinatra, Mancini, and Peter Nero. In later years, she did admit to liking the BeeGees.
Irene and Frank Marcello met at school, hooked up, and the unending, ever-renewing romance played on for the next 70 years.
After school, Irene stayed home in the and raised her children. Wives of her generation simply did not enter the work force and pursue careers.
Nevertheless, Irene never stopped working at her art and her creativity existed in every aspect of her life.
Her talent decorated her home, restored antiques long before antiquing came into vogue, right alongside the painting. She was also a talented sculptress and sculptures accumulated over the years.
Whatever her husband was into, Irene was right there alongside, helping him from cutting and pasting layouts for his “Mad Men” advertising projects of the '60s to joining the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh and entering their various shows.
Irene was Frank's strategic and tactical counselor, as well as his muse. Her Avant- garde style and exquisite taste set the couple up to be both admired and socially in demand.
Irene's work tended to run in themes that reflect where her head was at at various periods in her long life. She painted Eygyptian themes in the '50s , dream themes in the '60s , exotic landscape and garden themes, cat themes, bird themes, sun and moon themes, flower themes and still-lifes, feminine themes, portaits, fish and figures, romantic themes, psychic themes, and also large and small sculptures.
Two of Irene's great loves were sculpture and gardening. She loved to get her hands into clay and soil. She was a hands-on kind of woman with a titanic puritan work ethic, never resting, never stopping. And throught it all she created three beautiful children and a magazine-cover beautiful home.
