Biography

The man

1875		Birth of Cappiello in Livorno (Italy). His father is a maritime liquidator.
1886 to 1892		First paintings.
1897		Spring: Cappiello goes to Paris to visit his brother who works at the Stock Exchange. Brief trip back to Livorno upon the death of his father. June: Return to Paris where he settles down definitively.
1896 to 1905		Caricaturing period.
1900		In November, he signs his first contract with the printer and publisher P. Vercasson, which marks the beginning of his career as a poster artist.
1901		Marries Suzanne Meyer, sister-in-law of Lucien Mühlfeld (literary critic) and Paul Adam (writer). They will have two children together.
1899 to 1942		Poster period.
1902 to 1913		Works for Vercasson, the publisher.
1914		Receives the Legion of Honor.
1914 to 1918		Called by Italy during the war to work as an interpreter in France for the Italian Information Services. He still finds some spare time to participate in charity events for the war-wounded, publish satirical caricatures at the expense of the Germans and make a few posters.
1919		After the armistice of 1918, he joins Devambez, the publisher, with whom he will work until 1936.
1921		He is promoted to officer of the Legion of Honor.
1928		He is promoted to commander of the Legion of Honor.
1930		He takes on French nationality.
1941		Sick, he retires to Grasse at his sister-in-law’s, Mrs Lucien Mühlfeld.
1942		Death of Cappiello in Cannes after having dinner with his friend André Rouveyre. He is remembered as an indulgent, very pleasant man, who epitomized Italian seduction, with a certain discretion which expressed obvious nobility.

Cappiello in his studio
194 Bd Malesherbes in Paris,
in 1902

The immigrant

It’s no coincidence really that Cappiello came to live in France; at the time, Paris was the world capital of the Arts. Sooner or later he was bound to live there for some time. This is his testimony published in October 1932 in the newspaper ‘Bravo’.

‘Paris, the city where people think the most, work the most…’

It was, I think, in April or May 1897 that I arrived in Paris, the day the fire of the Charity Bazaar plunged the entire city into dismay. In the streets, you could see horrified faces with inquiring looks, which resulted in a striking contrast with the splendor of that radiant spring day.

I had come to spend a month there as a tourist, as an amateur. I ended up staying there for thirty-five years. I think that that in itself is enough to express the hold Paris had over me. Although we always feel some reserve when it comes to expressing intimate and profound feelings, I will confess, since you want me to, that I love France in the same way a man can be in love with a woman. I love it for its beauty, for its spirit, for its harmony and for its generosity. I love it for its never ending love of Art. I don’t think there’s any other country in the world where an artist is welcomed, appreciated, encouraged as he is in France – and as I write these lines, I have one of the sweetest, most moving memories of my life in mind: the warm affectionate welcome I received from all my friends who were the most famous artists of that time, and the friendship which has bound us ever since.

I was 21 and crazy about all the beauty I was discovering. Paris offered too many subjects for the tourist that I was, for the artist in me to not take advantage of it and use it. Seduced by the indefinable and spiritual charm of Parisian women, I became passionate about transcribing this feeling through synthetic drawings. I showed them to friends who recommended that I publish them. I carried them to ‘Le Rire’ which published them immediately. The ‘Revue Blanche‘ then asked me for an album on actresses. Marcel Prévot wrote the preface. You can imagine my joy! Critics and chroniclers gave him an unforgettable welcome.

Henri Letellier, then director of the Journal, offered me a regular collaboration every Sunday, which reminds me of a charming lunch at Larue, where the great Caran d’Ache, with his usual kindness, wanted to persuade the little illustrator that I was to accept this collaboration, which my shyness initially prevented me from doing.

This happened in 1899. After Le Journal, Le Figaro, posters, etc., etc., and everywhere, the same friendliness, the same simplicity.

The smallest gifts, no matter which brand of human activity they were relevant to, were, in France, developed and multiplied. Thanks to its love and taste for this constant creation of thought, abrain never stays without evolving, without growing.

The entire world suffers its luminous radiance and influence to the point that each manifestation of the human genius comes to search a sort of spiritual sanction there.

It enlightens but is never blinding.

If I am asked the importance Paris plays in my global perception of France, I’ll answer: Paris immediately seemed to me like the place where elites choose to meet up and where the exchanges which go on there give it its deep and exceptional spirit. It is the most harmonious environment, the most sumptuous, and at the same time, the most intimate, it’s the city where people think the most, and where people work the most.

Can anyone not be moved by its beauty every time they follow the triumphal walk from Bastille to Etoile?’

His life’s work

1886	First paintings: a portrait of a man and a portrait of a woman (lost). He carries on his education in Livorno; his exercise books are covered in sketches. He starts copying old prints.
1892	Without even attending a Fine Arts school or associating with any studio in particular, Cappiello knows most of the then contemporary painters in Livorno and Tuscany. He exhibits a large canvas for the first time in Florence: Woman in an interior (Livorno, G. Fattori Municipal Museum).
1896	First album of caricatures: Lanterna Magica. Illustrates a dance card (lost).

Self-portrait -1904

1898	Spring: Cappiello arrives in Paris where he goes to see his brother who works at the Stock Exchange. He returns briefly to Livorno upon the death of his father. June: He returns to Paris where he meets Puccini and the actor Novelli. July: Publication of his first two caricatures in Le Rire: Puccini and Novelli. Beginning of the series Les Contemporaines in Le Rire. First caricature of Réjane on the cover of Le Rire. First caricatures in Le Cri de Paris (Polin, Polaire…).
1899	First drawings in La Rampe and in Le Sourire. Caricatural statuettes: Yvette Guilbert, Jeanne Granier, Réjane. End of May or beginning of June: Nos actrices, an album regrouping portraits of characters published by the Revue Blanche. First poster for Le Frou-Frou. He meets Toulouse-Lautrec for the first time.
1900	First drawings in Le Journal (Sarah Bernhardt in ‘L’Aiglon’). Two posters in particular make him gain notoriety: Le Cachou Lajaunie and Les Amandines de Provence.
1901	First drawings in Le Figaro. Two caricatures in L’Assiette au Beurre. Increase in his poster art activities: Corset le Furet, Odette Dulac, La Marquisette….
1902	Posters: Rentrée de Réjane in ‘La Passerelle’, Louise Balthy at the Folies Bergères. 28^th of November: Gens du Monde, special edition of L’Assiette au Beurre.
1903	April: Le Théâtre de Cappiello, special edition of the magazine Le Théâtre. He creates the poster for Chocolat Klaus, a real revolution in the world of advertizing art, then Katabexine, Le P’tit jeune Homme.
1904	January: Les Contemporains Célèbres, first series, advertizing album for the firm Lefèvre-Utile, illustrated with 18 caricatures by Cappiello. Cappiello abandons caricature almost completely to devote himself mainly to poster art. Posters for Le Friquet, Xéres Pedro Domecq, Nouilles Ferrari.

1905	70 Dessins de Cappiello, a collection of caricatures previously published in the press, published by H. Floury. Portraits of Albert Emile Sorel and of Mme Lucien Mühlfeld. Posters for Anis Infernal, Portofino-Kulm, Bijoux Colin, Fleur des Neiges.
1906	Many posters: Menthe-Pastille, Esperantine, Pneu Continental, Torrilhon, Cognac Albert Robin.
1907	Decorates Louis Dreyfus’ villa in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Many portraits. Important posters: Angélus, Triple Sec Fournier, Maurin-Quina and more importantly the famous Thermogène. He exposes his theory on poster art in Publicité Moderne.
1908	Exhibits the portrait of his brother-in-law Paul Adam at the Salon de la Comédie Humaine. Member of the Organization Committee of the 2^nd Salon des Humoristes where he exhibits some of his work. Posters for the Source Parot, Xéres Quina Ruiz.
1909	Exhibits the Portrait of his wife and his two children (Livorno Museum) at the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts, then at the Salon des Humoristes. Posters for Pippermint, Fernet-Branca, many posters published by Vercasson in South America.

1910	Exhibits the portrait of Henri de Régnier (Orsay Museum) at the Société Nationale des Beaux Arts. Famous poster for Cinzano.
1911	New contract with Vercasson. He makes a large number of posters: Vittel Grande Source, Longines, Oxo, Florio and more importantly the famous Chocolat Poulain.
1912	Decorates the tea house, the reading room and the smoking lounge of the Galeries Lafayette. Many posters: Marie Brizard, Le Nil, Bière du Fort-Carré, Sacha Guitry Jean III.
1913	Many posters: Villiod, Cigarettes Bastos, Lampe Visseaux, Chaussures Unic.
1914	A few posters: Exposition Internationale de Lyon, L’Eclair.
1915	Publishes a few etchings on the war and collaborates with La Baïonnette, Le Rire and Fontasio.
1916	Cover of the original edition of the Poète Assassiné (The Poet Assassinated) by Apollinaire. A few posters: Le Trait-d’Union Franco-Italien, Thermo-Bloc.
1919	Beginning of his collaboration with Devambez. Some posters: L’ Avenir, Poudre de Luzy.
1920	Once again member of the Committee of the Salon des Humoristes. Exhibits at the first Salon de la Publicité (Advertizing Exhibition) and in Beauvais at the Salon de l’Affiche (Poster Exhibition). Many posters: in particular the Blanchisseries Franco-Américaines, Mistinguett, Robur, Cachou Lajaunie. Decorates a grocery store on Jean Goujon street.

Cappiello around the age of 39

1921

Wins his case against the firm Chocolat Poulain which partially reproduced his poster modifying it slightly. Numerous posters for France and Italy: Bitter Campari, Café Martin, Imperméables Pirelli. In November 1921, he signs an exclusivity contract with Devambez, the only authorized publisher of the Nouvelles Affiches Cappiello.

Cappiello around the age of 47

1922	Exhibits poster sketches at the Venice Biennial and at the French Institut in New-York. Many posters in France and Italy: Exposition Coloniale de Marseille, Parapluie-Revel, Restaurant Poccardi.
1923	February-March: special exhibition of Cappiello’s life’s work at Devambez. Posters for the opening of the Théâtre de l’Etoile, Pâtes Ferrand-Renaud, Royat.
1924	Posters for France, Italy and Spain: Ricqlès, Café con Leche Iberia, Bal de la Couture Parisienne.
1925	Posters for Peugeot, Tana, Biscotti Wamar, L’Electrification, Studebaker.
1926	Posters for cigarette brands Louis Doize, L’Eau des Abatilles, La Baule.
1927	Posters for cigarette brands Laurens, Lane Borgosesia.
1928	Ballet costumes and stage decor projects, at first for Sacha Guitry, then for Leonide Massine. Self-portrait ordered by the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Posters for L’Ami du Peuple, Becuwe.
1929	Important posters, particularly the one for Savora.
1930	Tapestry cartoons for the Manufacture Nationale de Beauvais on the theme of parrots. Illustrates La Princesse de Babylone (The Princess of Babylon) by Voltaire. Important posters for O Cap, Le Cuir which will mark an evolution in his poster art.

1931	Exhibits his Parrots tapestries made by the Manufacture Nationale de Beauvais at the Exposition Coloniale (Colonial Exhibition). Very important poster for Bouillon Kub.
1932	Exhibits at the Salon des Humoristes for which he makes the poster. Poster for Dubonnet, Marianne.
1933	Posters for Gautier butter, La France de Bordeaux et du Sud-Ouest.
1934	Important posters for Bally, L’Œuvre, Le Lorrain.
1935	Decorates the fresco of the Dupont Restaurant’s bar, on boulevard Barbès. Exhibits at the Salon des Humoristes, participates in the Salon de l’Enseigne (Sign Fair).
1936	Participates in the Milan Triennial and in the Exhibition of the French Poster in Prague.
1937	La Force Motrice, decorates the 1937 exhibition at the Publicity Pavilion, where Cappiello is the Vice-President of the advertizing class. Posters for the Paris 1937 and the Accueil de la France.
1938	Exhibits Les Dormeuses (The Sleepers) (Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon), a large canvas at the Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts. A few posters: Mossant, Semaine de l’Enfance.

1939	Participates in the Exhibition of Colored Posters from Chéret until today at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers in Paris.
1941	Series of illustrations of Rimbaud poems (never published).
1942	On his death, Cappiello leaves us with a considerable life’s work which will be the object of many exhibitions and retrospectives.
1947	Retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Paris.
1960	Retrospective at the Casa della Cultura (House of Culture) in Livorno.
1961	Exhibition at the Palais Saint-Pierre in Lyon.
1962	Exhibition at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire (Art and History Museum) in Geneva.
1981	Retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris.
1993	Exhibition at the Mona Bismark American Center for Art & Culture in Paris.
1994	Exhibition in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (France).
2003	Exhibition at the Musée des Beaux-Arts in Lyon.

Cappiello’s signature in 1922

Biography taken and completed from: ‘Les Dossiers d’Orsay – Cappiello 1875 – 1942’, p186 and 187 © Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris 1981, ‘Dossiers d’Orsay’

Bibliography

Aside from exhibition catalogues, the main books on Cappiello are the following:

1946	Jacques Viénot: ‘L. Cappiello sa vie et son oeuvre’ ( Preface by Jean Cocteau) – Editions de Clermont.
1978	‘Cappiello et la Belle Epoque’ (Preface by Jacques de Lacretelle) – Editions Sciaky.
2004	Jack Rennert: ‘Cappiello – The posters of Leonetto Cappiello – Editions The Poster Art Library.
2011	Marie-Laure Soulié-Cappiello: ‘Cappiello – Catalogue raisonné des caricatures’ – Editions Sillages.
2016	Francesca Cagianelli: ‘Leonetto Cappiello (1875 – 1942) Oltre L’Affiche’ – Editions Libreria Universitaria.