Date: 1929
Size: 84 x 132 inches
About the artist: Leonetto Cappiello is considered to be one of the greatest posterists of his age. His approach was "always image association - the idea that you don't really remember the image of the product itself, but the image of something is associated with the product ... Cappiello was the first who thoroughly understood this, and he applied it with considerable diligence in about a thousand posters." (Rennert)
Born and raised in Livorno, Italy, Cappiello knew at a young age that he would be an artist. In his youth, he drew caricatures and sketches, which proved he had a natural talent and an ambition that would eventually lead him to Paris in pursuit of his dream. Encouraged by his brother who was living in Paris at the time, Cappiello endeavored to sell his caricatures to magazines that would pay and support his art. He was so ambitious that he even approached Giacomo Puccini, the composer to ask if he could sketch him. He was successful and managed to submit the images to Le Rire magazine. Soon after, Cappiello became a sought-after cartoonist and caricaturist. His style, simple lines with strong colors and an equally strong product message was evident in some of the first commissions he received: an 1899 album of pochoirs depicting famous actresses shows that even as a young man Cappiello had already developed a style which he would use, with incredible results, throughout his creative life. His portraits and posters were playful and unique, a quality that bred his success. His illustrations were clean and simple, crossing the boundaries from Belle Epoque through to Art Nouveau to the more modernist approach of Art Deco while still combining styles from previous eras. Because of the simplicity of his graphics, Cappiello was able to produce nearly 1000 posters in his time and was an inspiration to many lithographers to follow. His work is sought after today and may be found in galleries and museums throughout the world.
A little stocking trivia: According to our Wiki buddies, "The introduction of nylon in 1939 by Dupont began a high demand for stockings in the United States with up to 4 million pairs being purchased in one day. Nylon stockings were cheap, durable, and sheer compared to their cotton and silk counterparts. When America enteredWorld War II, DuPont ceased production of nylon stockings and retooled their factories to produce parachutes, airplane cords, and rope. This led to a shortage and the creation of a black market for stockings. At the end of the war DuPont announced that the company would return to producing stockings, but could not meet demand. This led to a series of disturbances in American stores known as the nylon riots until DuPont was able to ramp up production.
Poster was recently professionally linen backed and is GLORIOUS! It is large, in very good condition and has vibrant colors and an enormous amount of panache. Rare and beautiful.