Galileo Andrea Maria Chini was born on 2 December 1873 in Florence. After the death of his parents, his uncle Dario, a successful fresco restorer, took care of him and enrolled him in the decoration courses of the Santa Croce School of Art in Florence. In 1889 he began to work in the workshop of the painter Amedeo Buontempo and five years later he collaborated with Augusto Burchi. In 1895 he began to attend the Free Nude School at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. In the same year he met Elvira Pescetti whom he married in 1899. The following year he founded the L 'Arte della Ceramica manufacture with Giovanni Vannuzzi, Vittorio Giunti and Giovanni Montelatici; together they won two gold medals at the Turin and London International Exhibitions. In 1900 the first daughter Isolde was born and the following year their son Eros. With his ceramic works he was awarded in Brussels, St. Louis and St. Petersburg but, due to some differences with the partners, he left the factory. Six years later, in Mugello, he founded the Fornaci San Lorenzo factory with his cousin Chino. Four years later the King of Siam, Rama V, after admiring his works at the Venice Biennale invited him to work at the court where he frescoed the throne room in the Royal Palace as well as performing a series of portraits of the sovereign's family. He returned to Italy in 1912 for a short period due to an illness of Chino and Elvira; he definitely returned to his homeland a year later. In 1946 his daughter Isotta died; from this moment his activity was reduced due to sight problems that led him progressively to blindness. On 23 August 1956 she died in his study.

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