Leonetto Cappiello - Artist Biography

Born in Livorno, Italy, Leonetto Cappiello displayed a talent for the graphic arts at an early age. He busied himself with sketches and caricatures as a young adult, eventually leading his older brother (then working in Paris) to encourage him to pursue his gifts professionally. Cappiello obliged, approaching magazines and even famous members of society (Giacomo Puccini among them) and offering his artistic services. It was in fact a series of sketches of Puccini (sold to and published in Le Rire magazine in Paris) that gave Cappiello his first widespread recognition.

Cappiello: Art and Advertising
Like many successful artists, Cappiello was also a talented self-promoter. He was able to use his skills (both artistic and communicative) to build a steady career as a painter for advertisements. Many of the works Cappiello created under commission for liquor companies and even umbrella manufacturers are displayed even today as beautiful works of art.

In his advertisement paintings, Cappiello took the unusual approach of making his characters and scenes look anonymous. He would regularly avoid using faces on human characters, preferring instead a dry "less is more" look. The results were always quite successful, and kept Cappiello in high demand.

Despite having produced over 1,000 works and developed a highly recognizable style, Cappiello's art is still a bit difficult to classify. Part Belle Epoque and part Art Nouveau, Cappiello's work combines many different styles to form something new and completely unique. Cappiello prints make a lovely addition to the home, and many of them can be found for sale on our website.