Leonetto Cappiello
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Portrait_of_Leonetto_Cappiello.jpg/220px-Portrait_of_Leonetto_Cappiello.jpg)
Leonetto Cappiello (9 April 1875 – 2 February 1942) was an
Biography
He was born in Livorno in Tuscany. He would die in Cannes in France. Cappiello had no formal training in art.[1] The first exhibition of his work was in 1892, when a painting was displayed at the municipal museum in Florence.[1] Some of his paintings are on display in the Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori in Livorno.[3]
Caricatures
Cappiello started his career as a
In 1902, a 24-page book of his caricatures was published entitled Gens du Monde 'people of high society' for the magazine L'Assiette au Beurre. The following year, a 38-page book entitled Le Théâtre de Cappiello 'The theatre of Cappiello' was published for a special issue of Le Théâtre magazine, with captions written by theatre critics. In 1904, his work was reviewed along with that of Sem and Carlo de Fornaro.[4]
Cappiello began to move away from caricature work favouring posters. In 1905 a final publication 70 Dessins de Cappiello '70 drawings by Cappiello' by H. Floury, included black and white lithographic prints, as well as a handful of colour images produce by the process of
Cappiello made his name during the poster boom period in the early 20th century, with designs markedly different from premier poster artist Jules Chéret.[5] His first poster, for the newspaper Frou-Frou, was made in 1899.[1]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Leonetto_Cappiello%27s_self-portrait.jpg/200px-Leonetto_Cappiello%27s_self-portrait.jpg)
Vercasson
Cappiello’s career as a poster artist began in earnest in 1900 when he began a contract with the
He was married to Suzanne Meyer Cappiello in 1901 and his brother Oreste was married to Camille, sister of the painter Alfredo Müller.
Between 1901 and 1914, he created several hundred posters in a style that revolutionised the art of poster design.
Devambez
After the First World War Cappiello returned to producing posters. His first meeting with Devambez in 1918 marked the start of a long discussion: three years later he signed an exclusive contract with the Paris publisher for whom he designed now famous icons: such as Kub, Campari, Parapluie Revel, Pirelli, Chocolat Klaus and Poudre de Luzy, and the famous entertainer Mistinguett at the Casino de Paris. Unlike Vercasson, Devambez did not have its own print house, and had the posters printed at a number of large printers. The agency concentrated on finding new clients from across Europe, and successfully spread Cappiello’s celebrated works across the continent. He remained with the agency until 1936.[5]
Legacy
Over the course of his career Cappiello produced more than 530 advertising posters.[5] Today, his original posters are still collected, sold at auction and by dealers around the world.
Selected lithographs
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Sous Vetements Hygieniques (underclothesad for Docteur Rasurel, 1906)
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Cognac Pellisson (cognac ad, 1907)
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Thermogène (ad for a cough and rheumatism remedy, 1909)
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Aigua de Vilajuïga (Spanish mineral water ad, 1910)
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Maraliment (ad for a brand ofseaweed soup, 1920)
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Bitter Campari (campari ad, 1921)
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Cafe Martin (ad for a coffee company in Paris, 1921)
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La Victoria Arduino (espresso ad, 1922)
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Contratto (liquor ad, 1922)
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Chłopiec na zebrze, (Warsaw, 1926)
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La Rose Jacqueminot, Coty, (perfume ad, 1904)
See also
References
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Cappiello (Leonetto)." Museum of Advertising (Musee de la Publicite). Archived 2003-11-05 at archive.today
- ^ National Gallery of Australia. "Maurin Quina."
- ^ Museo Civico Giovanni Fattori, short biography on Cappiello.
- ^ Christian Brinton, "Sem, Cappiello, and Fornaro", The Critic 45:545-556 (December 1904)
- ^ ISBN 0-9664202-7-6.
External links
- Leonetto Cappiello: Father of the Modern Poster
- Cappiello.fr
- Cappiello Poster Reproductions
- Leonetto Cappiello Originals for Sale
- Leonetto Cappiello in American public collections, on the French Sculpture Census website