di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art maintains a permanent collection of works by Northern California artists that was originally collected by Rene di Rosa (1919-2010) and Veronica di Rosa (1934–1991). The collection contains notable works by artists living or working in the San Francisco Bay Area from mid-twentieth century to the early twenty-first century, highlighting a story of experimentation of the artists of the region. It is displayed in part, on a rotating basis, in the galleries at di Rosa.
This page represents a just a portion of di Rosa’s rich permanent collection. Stay tuned as we continue to populate this page with artworks from our collection.
di Rosa strives to be a resource for educators, students and lifelong learners. For research inquiries, please contact curatorial@dirosaart.org.
The Great Blondino (Self-Portrait)
Painting
Blindfolded tightrope walker with question mark above head pushing wheelbarrow across tightrope suspended above water; grey tones
77
Acrylic on Canvas
Painting
AR0077
Hansen Gallery
Purchase
William T. Wiley
1965
Signature
Recto, lower right
Wm. T. Wiley
Painted
Self-portraits
Object
84 in
84 in
The Incorrect Museum - Ongoing
May 3, 2025 - March 4, 2026
Found: Everyday Objects in Bay Area Art
August 20 - October 1, 2005, di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, Napa
William T. Wiley and the Slant Step: All on the Line
January 8 - May 7, 2022, Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Davis
Curator
2025
The Great Blondin was a renowned 19th-century French tightrope walker and acrobat. He became famous for his daring tightrope walks, particularly his crossings of Niagara Falls. He walked blindfolded, carried people on his back, pushed wheelbarrows, and even cooked an omelet while on the tightrope. Fascinated with the acrobat’s antics, Wiley produced this curious painting as well as a film about Blondin which premiered in 1967.