Italy has produced more than her
fair share of award-winning graphic artists.
The most known artists are those who created the manifesto
pubblicitario, or advertising poster.
The birth of the modern poster-art can be attributed to the many talented
Italian
lithographers and graphic artists working in Italy and Paris at
the turn of the last century for magazines, art studios and under direct
commissions with companies.
The original posters and magazine covers are collectable art
today. But if you're not into art collecting, and enjoy the bright,
happy images, you can always purchase a print or poster of the
now classic images.
I've collected together here some representative works
by 6 of the more
well-known artists. The prints are provided by
AllPosters.com, the on-line print store. Just click on an
image to see size and price information.
Marcello Dudovich (b.1878 -
d.1962 ) created stunning graphic designs for advertisers and public
agencies. There is a multi-lingual
site dedicated to his
work, which has collected together over 3000 of his works, and a 50 page
biography. It also tracks auctions of the artist's very
collectable work.
Gino Boccasile
(b.1901 - d.1952) specialized in magazine cover art. He also did
much work for the Italian Socialist Party. He is best known, even
infamous at the time, for his shapely, erotic, female figures.
Plinio Codognato (b.1878 - b.1940)
was a painter, book illustrator and advertising poster artist. His
work, especially his illustrations, are highly collectable.
Leopoldo Metlicovitz (b.1868 -
d.1944) is best known for his advertising posters for the Italian
department store La Rinascente, and for his opera posters.
Leonetto Cappiello
(b.1878 - d.1942) is considered the father of modern
poster art, so I've given him the largest gallery. He shows a wide
variety of styles, yet all his work is eye-catching, colorful, and often
seemingly in motion. He began his career in Paris as a
caricaturist of the famous and infamous. Then he moved into the
poster advertising art field. He was a master at creating an
emotional image that the viewer associated with a product. In
fact, the product is often very small in the image itself.
