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Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942) was an italian designer renowned for his innovation in poster art design during the early 20th century. Cappiello worked in a way which opposed the usual painterly quality of early advertising poster design and that of his predecessors, such as Jules Cheret. Cappiello used simple, bold characters contrasted with a dark background. From this only, the audience could relate the advertisement to a particular product, without directly identifying the figure as a particular class, gender or celebrity. This skill in graphic design lead to his audience subconsciously associating an image with a product.
With no formal art education, Cappiello began with sketches and caricatures, later leading to finished designs which captured that same individuality and liveliness. A successful example of this is Cappiello’s 1921 advertisement for Cafe Martin. The designer crossed boudaries. A clear Art Nouveau influence can be seen throughout the work, along with more modernist, Art Deco inspirations.
Bibliography: Cappiello: the posters of Leonetto Cappiello, Jack Rennert 2004
http://www.cappiello.fr/anglais/biography.htm
Dani Fitzwalter
The term ‘renaissance’ refers to the re-emergence of past trends or techniques, given new life and taken further at a later stage. From the fourteenth to the seventeenth century, the arts flourished and became more important within every aspect of life than they had ever been. Italy was the forerunner
of this period of reinvigorated creativity. In the period termed ‘early renaissance’ Fra Angelico (1387-1455) liberated religious painting from its flat and constricting triptych structure and into
realistic open settings by using linear perspective, and gave characters much more expressive and
realistic features, drawing the viewer in and making them feel a part of the scene, which, in a culture dominated by religion, meant a lot.
He reinvented religious iconography, moving it on from the static Gothic styles to more realistic early Renaissance style, but still retaining its tradition of elegance and beauty achieved through much decoration. Graphic design relies on communication of a work to the viewer, and during the Renaissance this was a key element to a successful work. The Renaissance was also the first instance of what could be called early subliminal advertising. The wealthiest individuals or ‘guilds’ (various industries like linen, armourers or political parties) would commission the best artists at the time, and pay for the best materials, so that the work created to advertise themselves would overshadow all the others. For example, the statues that fill the Orsanmichele in Florence each represent a different guild, and they were replaced as time went on with better and more expensive statues as the wealth poured into Florence, one of the booming financial centres of Italy at the time.
The sculptors Michelozzo (1396 – 1472) and Donatello (c1386 – 1466) were asked to make a sculpture of St. Louis of Toulouse by the Parte Guelfa (policitcal party) out of gilt bronze for one of the niches. The use of this material resulted in a very expressive style of figure, which also had to be made in many sections. Traditionally saints should not be golden effigies as it suggests expenditure and luxury — St. Louis was a boy-heir to the throne of Naples who was permitted to renounce his succession to become a Bishop. The political party have employed a clever tactic by choosing this figure, a humble boy who chose religion over ruling a city, a message which is more obvious than the underlying one of power and political influence that the party clearly had in mind when choosing these two skilled artists and the medium of gilt bronze. This is another aspect that graphic design and the Renaissance share — choosing to associate with companies, products, celebrity figures that share your values, and whose public influence you can rely on to win customers over.
Bibliography: PHAIDON, 2007. 30,000 years of art. London, New York: Phaidon Press Ltd.
GOMBRICH, E.H. 1950. The Story of Art. Phaidon Press Ltd; 16th Revised edition.
Alice Lubbock
Giambattista Bodoni was an Italian printer and typographer born in Saluzzo, Italy in 1740. He is most renowned for designing a typeface now known as Bodoni (see fig 1). Both his father and grandfather were printers, and his first apprenticeship was one of a high standard — Propaganda Fire, the Vatican's printing house in Rome. He finished his apprenticeship and thanks to his dedication, enthusiasm and skill attained management at the Royal Press, the press of the Duke of Parma. The printing house was a great success, and it was not long before his own works made an appearance. The success lead to the Duke allowing Bodoni to open a printing house of his own, the Officina Bodoni, with which he produced more than 300 typefaces. The Bodoni typeface is characterised by its contrast of the thick main body of the letterform and the thin, sharp serifs (the short lines at the ends of the strokes of the letter). This contrast makes the font look delicate and fragile yet still evokes an edginess, qualities which many designers seek to obtain. Bodoni's typeface has had a huge impact on contemporary typography with Bodoni-esque font being used widely within all aspects of design.
Bibliography
Books
Cleland, T.M, (1916) Giambattista Bodoni of Parma, Society of Printers, Boston.
Internet
B-net. 2009. Giambattista Bodoni: King of typographer, typographer of kings. [Online] Available at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3992/is_200107/ai_n8978403/ [Accessed 27 October 2009]
Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2009. Giambattista Bodoni. [Online] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/71084/Giambattista-Bodoni [Accessed on 27 October 2009]
Scott English
Neoclassicism is the term used to describe an art movement which originated in France and Italy. Its influence was largely derived from ancient Greece and Rome. The influence of Neoclassicim however did not remain solely in France and Italy, it spread as far as St Petersburg, Sydney, Philadelphia and Edinburgh. The audience was not limited just to high society, managed to span across all classes.
The results of the Herculaneum and Pompeii excavations during the second half of the 18th century provided a mass of influential publications and artefacts about Classic art and society which played an important role in the definition of the style. The roots of Neo Classicism however are not just found in antiques. Some smaller contributions from the East, Medieval times and the Egyptians have also been a factor.
Artists of the Neo Classical age often made use of "Classical' imagery such as Cherubs and Cupids. Such examples of this method can be found in a painting of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin West, titled "Drawing Electricity from the Sky". It shows Franklin observing a jolt of electricity passing from his kite string to his clenched fist. In the background he is being helped by Cupids. A prime example of mixing the old with the new.
"Like the two faced Classical god Janus, Neo Classicism looks both behind and ahead'.
David Irwin, Neo Classicism, Phaidon
Benjamin West was one of many 'Grand Tour' artists. Grand Tour being the term used to describe a year long Italian education, spent studying various art forms. He produced many religious paintings and often had as many as five assistants helping him with large works. Some paintings where produced for Windsor Castle at the request of George III, but he also catered for hospital chapels, cathedrals and churches with alter pieces. His work painting church windows, which where not created in a similar fashion to stain glass windows in many smaller parts, but rather painted on to the surface restricted the levels of light in the churches, making other windows glow in an almost divine manor. However this method did not meet the approval of many other artists who believed it to be criminal.
One such Benjamin West painting titled "British Manufactory: A Sketch" features a copy of an antique vase designed by Josiah Wedgwood, who at the time was also designing the ceiling of the lodge at Windsor. Wedgwood owned his own showroom in St James Sq, where he exhibited some of the most expensive British pottery available in London. He succesfully managed to create a market for luxury Neo Classical vases in a way never done before, through the use of a showroom and a printed catalogue, which offered a wide range of varied designs.
Neo Classicism was one of the few styles from Europe which found its way into Japan around 1868. The design of the Yokohama Shohkn Bank, which is now a Museum, was specifically made Neo Classical as the bank at the time was engaged in international trade and thus decided a foreign style of architecture was the most appropriate.
The White House, originally commissioned as a place of residence for Jefferson, who at the time was the Secretary of State, was designed by Hoban after winning a competition to design the residence. Jefferson expressed concern, believing the residence should not be too extravagant due to the current economy of the newly developing United States. What originated as a humble dwelling soon became much more and is a prime example of Neo Classical architecture in the US.
Jay Keefe
Bibliography
Books
David Irwin (1997), Neoclassicism, London, Phaidon Press Limited
Images
Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricyt from the Sky (P174)
David Irwin (1997), Neoclassicism, London, Phaidon Press Limited
Britain and France united by Mercury (P222)
David Irwin (1997), Neoclassicism, London, Phaidon Press Limited
Yokohama Shohkin Bank (P394)
David Irwin (1997), Neoclassicism, London, Phaidon Press Limited
The White House (P126)
David Irwin (1997), Neoclassicism, London, Phaidon Press Limited
Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942) was an italian designer renowned for his innovation in poster art design during the early 20th century. Cappiello worked in a way which opposed the usual painterly quality of early advertising poster design and that of his predecessors, such as Jules Cheret. Cappiello used simple, bold characters contrasted with a dark background. From this only, the audience could relate the advertisement to a particular product, without directly identifying the figure as a particular class, gender or celebrity. This skill in graphic design lead to his audience subconsciously associating an image with a product.
