Giuseppe Fontanelli, better known as Bissietta, (10 April 1910 – 11 December 1977) was an Italian artist, remembered in Italy for his illustrations and comic strips, and whose later career included twenty years in Australia, where he taught painting and produced works in an abstract impressionist style. He returned to Italy at age 60 and enjoyed his productive last years in his homeland.

Early life and career

Bissietta was born in

San Miniato San Miniato is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy. San Miniato sits at a historically strategic location atop three small hills where it dominates the lower Arno valley, between the valleys of the E ...

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, to Eugenio and Assunta Fontanelli née Rossi. He showed an early talent for drawing and studied at the Royal Conservatory of Santa Chiara in

and the Florence Academy under

Federico Andreotti Federico Andreotti (6 March 1847 – 1930) was an Italian painter. Biography Andreotti was born in Florence. He initially studied with Angiolo Tricca, Stefano Ussi, and at the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts. At a contest, he won a stipend a ...

, then at age 18 moved to

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and the

Brera Academy The Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (), also known as the or Brera Academy, is a state-run tertiary public academy of fine arts in Milan, Italy. It shares its history, and its main building, with the Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan's main public mu ...

, from which he graduated. He started work as a poster artist and magazine illustrator, signing his work "Bissietta" (perhaps signifying small and prickly) or "Giovanni Bissietta". He produced cartoons and comic strips for the magazines ''Cartoccino dei Piccoli'', ''Robinson'' and ''

L'Audace ''L'Audace'' (Italian language, Italian for "The Bold") was a weekly children and comic magazine published in Italy from 1934 to 1944. History and profile Founded by Lotario Vecchi in January 1934, the magazine was published by S.A.E.V, except f ...

''. He created the character "Nottolino" for the children's newspaper ''Jumbo'' (which closed 1938 after being banned), and a comic strip version of the epic poem ''

Orlando Furioso ''Orlando furioso'' (; ''The Frenzy of Orlando'') is an Italian epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto which has exerted a wide influence on later culture. The earliest version appeared in 1516, although the poem was not published in its complete form ...

''. He was best known for his "figurines" series of swap cards which, if collected and put in sequence, told an illustrated story in rhyme. One was

Carlo Collodi Carlo Lorenzini (; 24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi ( ; ), was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio''. Early lif ...

's famous ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' in 27 cards 1929–1930. This was followed by ''Quando il gallo canter'' (When the cock crows) in 8 cards,
La gola castigata
' (gluttony punished) in 7, and ''Questa non la sapevi . . .'' (You didn't know this . . .) in around 5. Notably, his 27-card set ''Topolino e il Mostro di Loch-Ness'' featured "Topolino", a faithful copy of Walt Disney's

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

character, uncredited, unauthorised and probably illegal; the first of several Italian artists to copy the great American cartoonist, others being "Buriko" ( Antonio Burattini) and "Guasta" ( Guglielmo Guastaveglia). Bissietta held his first solo exhibition in Milan in 1935. He served as a war correspondent attached to the General Staff in

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

during World War II, and after collaborating with other Italian army artists to create murals for the

Palazzo delle Esposizioni The Palazzo delle Esposizioni is a Neoclassicism, neoclassical exhibition hall, cultural center and museum on Via Nazionale (Rome), Via Nazionale in Rome, Italy. History Designed by Pio Piacentini, it opened in 1883. It has housed several exhi ...

in Rome, he became a correspondent for the '' Giornale dell'Arte''. In 1944 he produced ''Fiori di ghibli'' (Flowers of the Saharan wind), a collection of thoughts and impressions from his time in Africa, dedicated to his seven-year-old daughter Magda, followed in 1946 by ''Orme'' (Footprints), a series of illustrated poems, both published in book form by Gastaldi. He designed costumes and masks for the first Italian production of

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

's ''

Murder in the Cathedral ''Murder in the Cathedral'' is a verse drama by T. S. Eliot, first performed in 1935 (published the same year). The play portrays the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral during the reign of Henry II in 1170. El ...

'', directed by

Giorgio Strehler Giorgio Strehler (; ; 14 August 1921 – 25 December 1997) was an Italian stage director, theatre practitioner, actor, and politician. Strehler was one of the most significant figures in Italian theatre during his lifetime, described by Mel Gu ...

. In the period 1946–1949 he concentrated his painting activity to the towns of San Miniato and

Podenzano Podenzano ( ) is a in the Province of Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is bordered by the following municipalities: Gossolengo, Piacenza, Pontenure, Rivergaro, San Giorgio Piacentino, Vigolzone. The patron saint is San Giovanni Bo ...

. He mounted exhibitions of his work in Switzerland, Austria and Belgium, and repaired some frescoes in the San Miniato cathedral.

Years in Australia

Bissietta left for Australia in 1949 by the emigrant ship SS ''Cyrenia'', arriving in Melbourne on 7 December 1949. During the trip, he kept an illustrated diary for the

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

newspaper ''

La Libertà LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

''. His original intention was to report on Australia for the international press in Turin, and his travel permits were for two years, but having secured a teaching position decided to stay. In 1950 he created a large mural for the concert hall of St Francis' New Australian Centre in

Elizabeth Street, Brisbane Elizabeth Street is a major street in the centre of the city in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The street was one of the Early Streets of Brisbane, earliest in Brisbane being established at the beginning of settlement in Brisbane as Moreton B ...

, depicting the emigration of

New Australians New Australians were non-British migrants to Australia who arrived in the wave of immigration following World War II. The term initially referred to newly arrived immigrants, generally refugees, who were expected to eventually become mainstream ...

from Europe. One mural, the product of seven months' work, depicts the migrants' departure, their sorrowing relatives and their arrival in sunny Queensland. Another includes a likeness of the artist with

Archbishop Duhig Sir James Duhig Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, KCMG (2 September 187110 April 1965) was an Irish-born Australian Roman Catholic religious leader. He was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane, Archbishop of Bris ...

and Father Boniface, head of the Capuchin order that ran the centre, previously the Caledonian Buildings. Duhig was a nephew of the art critic and pathologist Dr J. V. Duhig. He began teaching at

Antonio Dattilo Rubbo Antonio Salvatore Dattilo Rubbo (Napoli 21 June 1870 – Sydney 1 June 1955) was an Italian-born artist and art teacher active in Australia from 1897. Rubbo, or Dattilo-Rubbo, was born in Naples in 1870, and spent his early childhood in the N ...

's ADR Art School at Century House, 70

Pitt Street, Sydney Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, New South Wales, Waterloo, although today's street ...

, and organized annual exhibitions of work by his students from 1951 onwards, and took over the school when its founder retired. In July 1954 he opened the Bissietta Art Gallery at the same location, with an exhibition that included works by

Judy Cassab Judy Cassab (15 August 19203 November 2015), born Judit Kaszab, was an Australian painter. Early years Judy Cassab was born in Vienna, on 15 August 1920 to Jewish Hungarian parents. She began painting at twelve years old and began studying at ...

Douglas Dundas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...

Donald Friend Donald Stuart Leslie Friend (6 February 1915 – 16 August 1989) was an Australian artist and diarist who lived much of his life overseas. He has been the subject of controversy since the posthumous publication of diaries in which he wrote about ...

, Philippa Keane,

Michael Kmit Michael Kmit () (25 July 1910 in Stryi, Lviv – 22 May 1981 in Sydney, Australia) was a Ukrainian painter who spent twenty-five years in Australia. He is notable for introducing a neo-Byzantine style of painting to Australia, and winning a ...

Lloyd Rees Lloyd Frederic Rees (17 March 18952 December 1988) was an Australian landscape Painting, painter who twice won the Wynne Prize for his landscape paintings. Most of Rees's works are preoccupied with depicting the effects of light and emphasis ...

, and

Roland Wakelin Roland Wakelin (17 April 1887 – 28 May 1971) was a New Zealand-born Australian painter and teacher. Early life Roland Shakespeare Wakelin was born on 17 April 1887 in Greytown, New Zealand, Greytown, New Zealand. He studied at Wellington Te ...

. He painted a mural for Repin's coffee shop on Pitt Street. In 1957 Bissietta hosted an exhibition of works by

Six Directions Six Directions was an art collective in Sydney, Australia, formed in 1953 by six post-war immigrants from Europe. They held group exhibitions at Bissietta's Gallery, at 70 Pitt Street, Sydney in 1957 and at the Riverside Gallery, Canberra, in 1958. ...

, an art collective of refugees from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with whom he had a long association, and of which, according to one art historian, he was a member. He was

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...

as an Australian citizen in February 1960. Other activities during his twenty years in Australia include: *as director of an Italian Art School in Sydney *teaching at the

National Art School The National Art School (NAS) is a tertiary level art school, located in , an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The school is an independent accredited higher education provider offering specialised study in studio arts ...

in Sydney *artistic director of a Summer School of the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

*as correspondent for

Perugia Perugia ( , ; ; ) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area. It has 162,467 ...

's University for Foreigners *giving lectures in the

Italian language Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is ...

at the Conservatorium of Music. *directing a film ''Villa Etruria'' made by his students *exhibiting at the first Young Festival in 1965

Return to Italy

Bissietta returned to Italy in 1970 and taught art history at the University for Foreigners Perugia. In 1971, he held his first retrospective exhibition in the International Art Gallery of Florence. He coordinated the international summer courses 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 ...

in Perugia. He ran summer courses in fine arts and Italian art history at the American Institute for Foreign Study at

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich ( ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 63,518. It is the largest town on Gold Coast (Connecticut), Connectic ...

. This was a productive time for Bissietta, referred to as his "geometric-luminous" period. He died in

Sant'Ilario d'Enza Sant'Ilario d'Enza ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about northwest of Reggio Emilia. Sant'Ilario d'Enza borders the follow ...

on 11 December 1977. His remains and those of his wife are buried in San Miniato.

Recognition

*In 1948 Bissietta was made a member of the Euteleti Academy of San Miniato *In 1962 he was awarded a silver medal from the Italian government for his promotion of Italian culture in Australia *From 1974 to 1977 he was president of the Arciconfraternita di Misericordia of San Miniato. *On 9 February 2019 a retrospective exhibition of his works was mounted at the Palazzo Grifoni in San Miniato, organised by the painter Luca Macchi. It comprised 62 of his works spanning a lifetime of work, mostly on loan from private collections: 47 paintings, 4 sketches for ''Murder in the Cathedral'', 5 sculptures and 10 drawings. A large

altarpiece An altarpiece is a painting or sculpture, including relief, of religious subject matter made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting or sculpture, ...

in the Church of the Holy Trinity, San Miniato, was part of the exhibition, but remained ''in situ''.

Family

Bissietta (or rather Giuseppe Fontanelli) married Giuletta Padovani in Milan 1933; they had a daughter Magda in 1937. They were living in

in 1954 when he opened the Bissietta Gallery, and hopes were expressed that they would join him shortly, but there is no evidence available to indicate that this occurred, and Magda appears to have been a well-known citizen of

Notes

References

{{Authority control Painters from Tuscany 20th-century Italian painters 20th-century Australian painters Italian emigrants to Australia Italian comics artists Italian educators 20th-century Italian illustrators Italian poster artists 1910 births 1977 deaths People from San Miniato Pseudonymous illustrators Pseudonymous comics artists Italian muralists Australian muralists Italian art educators Australian art educators Italian lecturers Australian lecturers Pseudonymous painters