Nino Caffe' grew up in Northern Italy where he studied the arts. Early in his life he joined the company of another young artist, Basaldella Afro. Both Nino and Basaldella exhibited their works together in the bustling and stylish city of Milan. It was from Afro that Caffè learned to pattern his works with allusive but descriptive elements that led to his own stylistic trademarks. The subjects of his paintings often included red robed priests who were such an important presence in Rome and the Vatican.