I Buffoni

I Buffoni  is a colored lithographed manifesto on cardboard, realized by the Italian artist and one of the major exponents of modern Italian poster art  Leopoldo Metlicovitz  (Trieste, 1868 - Ponte Lambro, 1944). Printed by Officine Ricordi, Milan, in 1914, this advertising poster for " I Buffoni " inspires to the Art Nouveau graphic style.

This is a wonderful vintage advertising poster, with the inscriptions printed on the lower margin, under the image " L. Metlicovitz / Off. G. Ricordi and C. Milano / 70 x 200 ". In excellent conditions, except for some minor stains along the margins.

This modern artwork draws inspiration from the vintage Art Nouveau taste and shows Metlicovitz's incredible draftsmanship.

Metlicovitz, through the Ricordi, realized many advertising posters and manifestoes for many emerging companies, such as Pirelli, Ettore Moretti, Magazzini Mele in Naples. The Liberty atmosphere in his artworks is palpable thanks to the sensuality of the female body appearing flat and emptied and turning into a mere twisted black contouring graphic line. The languid glances and the fixed smiles are veined by a barely perceptible underground decadence that is a prelude to WWI.