John Califano was born in Rome, Italy. As a young man he became a pupil of the artist Domenico Morelli. He learned Classical techniques of painting and his early works consisted almost entirely of landscapes. In 1881, Califano immigrated to the United States, where he settled in Chicago. He continued to paint and exhibited, heralded for his exquisitely detailed portraits, still-lifes, and landscapes of Italy. Califano exhibited in Naples, Italy in 1880, receiving a gold medal, as well as showing at the Art Institute of Chicago, in 1907; and the National Academy of Design, New York City, 1897-99. In 1915, Califano moved to San Francisco, where he became inspired by the California coast. Califano eventually moved to the Los Angeles area, where spent the remainder of his life painting.