Argio Orell (17 September 1884 – 10 January 1942) was an Italian painter and engraver. He was one of the most sought-after Italian portraitists in the 1920s and 1930s.

Biography

He was born in

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

on 17 September 1884, the son of Giuseppe and Calliope Iconomo. Orell trained with Eugenio Scomparini at the ''Scuola Industriale in Trieste''. Later, he enrolled at the

Academy of Fine Arts The following is a list of notable art schools. Accredited non-profit art and design colleges * Adelaide Central School of Art * Alberta College of Art and Design * Art Academy of Cincinnati * Art Center College of Design * The Art Institute ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, where he studied under

Franz von Stuck Franz Ritter von Stuck (February 23, 1863 – August 30, 1928), born Franz Stuck, was a German painter, sculptor, printmaker, and architect. Stuck was best known for his paintings of ancient mythology, receiving substantial critical acclaim with ...

. He was admitted to the course even though he was seventeen and technically not allowed to do so, wanted by von Stuck, who appreciated his first works. He was influenced by van Stuck who took him under his wing, and at the end of the course was awarded the prize for the best work by a foreign student. Il Gia2

Returned to Trieste, he had successful expositions there, and started "a production both of posters and paintings that extended his fame well above the local boundaries f Trieste" After successful expositions in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

and

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

, with the

King of Italy King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

among his estimators and clients, he became, in the 1920s and 1930s, one of the most sought-after Italian portraitists. In 1906 he painted the windows of Trieste's Palazzo Modello in Piazza Grande, which hosted exhibitions, together with Vito Timmel. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he was recruited by the Austrian army, and sent to Radkersburg, together with several prominent artists and intellectuals, including his friend and fellow painter Vito Timmel. During the time spent there, he painted mural paintings (now lost) for the club ''Bohem'' together with Timmel. Orell was a painter and a commercial artist, publishing posters for several companies. Some fifteen posters were found, some inspired by

Leonetto Cappiello Leonetto Cappiello (9 April 1875 – 2 February 1942) was an Italian and French poster art designer and painter, who mainly lived and worked in Paris.

, others, such as "Pelliccerie Cohen," by

Marcello Dudovich Marcello Dudovich (21 March 1878 – 31 March 1962) was an Italian painter, illustrator, and poster designer. Together with Leonetto Cappiello, Adolfo Hohenstein, Giovanni Maria Mataloni and Leopoldo Metlicovitz he is considered one of the ...

. He was an appreciator of

Japanese culture Japanese culture has changed greatly over the millennia, from the country's prehistoric Jōmon period, to its contemporary modern culture, which absorbs influences from Asia and other regions of the world. Since the Jomon period, ancestral ...

. He probably first came into contact with Japonisme during his stay in Munich. Orell approached Japanese art by reading journals and books on

Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

and studying specific Japanese woodcuts, and at the same time started collecting Ukiyo-e, going on to own a precious collection. In 1910 he painted the poster for the Fair of

Capodistria Capodistria or Capo d'Istria may refer to: * Giovanni Capo d'Istria or Capodistria, the Italian name of the Greek statesman Ioannis Kapodistrias * Capo d'Istria or Capodistria, the Italian name of the city of Koper See also *Kapodistrias (disambi ...

, in which he "combined that

Japonisme ''Japonisme'' is a French term that refers to the popularity and influence of Japanese art and design among a number of Western European artists in the nineteenth century following the Bakumatsu, forced reopening of foreign trade with Japan in 1 ...

that came for the passion for

Hokusai , known mononymously as Hokusai, was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist of the Edo period, active as a painter and printmaker. His woodblock printing in Japan, woodblock print series ''Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji'' includes the iconic print ''The Gr ...

to the dictates of Secessionism, interpreting them in his own way, offering very elegant solutions." In 1912 he was the curator of an exposition of Oriental art in Trieste. He died in Trieste on 10 January 1942.

Gallery

File:ORELL-Ritratto-femminile 01.jpg, ''Ritratto femminile'', oil on panel File:ORELL-Ritratto-femminile 03.jpg, ''Il Navarca'', oil on panel File:ORELL-Ritratto-femminile 04.jpg, ''Allegory'', pastel and watercolor on cardboard File:ORELL-Ritratto-femminile 02.jpg, ''Trieste in the 19th Century'', oil on panel File:Argio-orell-giovane-donna-con-orecchini.jpg, ''Giovane donna con orecchini'', oil on plywood File:Orell argio - painting.jpg, Portrait of a Woman File:Argio Orell - Acqua Colonia Mizzan.jpg, ''Acqua Colonia Mizzan'', poster File:Orell Untitled (53).jpg, ''Pre-maiden voyage introductory brochure for the

Saturnia Saturnia () is a spa town in Tuscany in north-central Italy that has been inhabited since ancient times. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Manciano, in the province of Grosseto. Famous for the spa which gives it its name, its population ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orell, Argio 1884 births 1942 deaths Painters from Austria-Hungary Expatriates from Austria-Hungary in Germany Italian painters Vienna Secession