Illustration Art Gallery: Giorgio Olivetti

Illustration Art Gallery

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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Giorgio Olivetti

Giorgio Olivetti was born in Bologna on 20 April 1908. Little seems to be known about his career outside of his work on cinema posters. One imagines that he began his professional career as an artist in the 1920s, although the earliest work I have been able to trace dates from 1942, a film poster promoting the release of Il Bacio della Pantera [Cat People] starring Simone Simon.

From thereon, Olivetti produced a steady stream of film posters starring everyone from Charlie Chaplin (Luci della Ribalta [The Great Dictator], 1952) to John Wayne (A Cavalieri dei Nord Ovest [She Wore a Yellow Ribbon], 1949; La battaglia di Alamo [The Alamo],1960). His posters include La foresta Incantata [The Enchanted Forest], 1945; Forza Bruta [Brute Force], 1947; Singapore, 1948; L'Ambiziosa [Payment on Demand], 1951; Seduzione mortale [Angel Face], 1952, Rancho Notorious, 1952; Il Forestiero [The Million Pound Note], 1953; Vortice, 1953; Vera Cruz, 1954; La Ragazza del Secolo [It Should Happen to You], 1954; Riccardo III, 1955; Tempesta sul Nilo [Storm Over the Nile], 1955; Il Cacciatore di Indiani [The Indian Fighter], 1955; Quado la citta dorme [While the City Sleeps], 1956; Trapezio [Trapeze], 1956; L'Alibi era perfetto [Beyond a Reasonable Doubt], 1956; Una Strega in Paradiso [Bell, Book and Candle], 1958; A qualcuno piace caldo [Some Like It Hot], 1959; La dolce vita, 1959; Un maledetto imbroglio, 1959; Il Mattatore (aka Love and Larceny), 1960; Viva L'Italia, 1961; I cannoni di Navarone [The Guns of Navaronne], 1961; Il conquistatore di Corinto, 1961; Invito ad una Sparatoria [Invitation to a Gunfighter], 1964; Una Pistola per Ringo, 1965; Io, io, io... e gli altri, 1965; Doringo [The Glory Guys], 1965; Gambit, 1966; A Sud-Ovest di Sonora [The Appaloosa], 1966; I Professionisti [The Professionals], 1966; Casino Royale, 1967; Emmanuelle, 1969.

In Italy, he also illustrated covers for Films in Anteprima [Filmes in Review] (1947) and at least one calendar (Calendario di Frate Indovino, 1965). Beginning in the late 1950s, in common with a number of leading Italian cinema poster artists, Olivetti worked briefly for British publishers in the late 1950s, producing cover illustrations for the Sexton Blake Library (1958-59) and True Life Library (1960) via Cosmopolitan Artists. An illustration featuring Joan of Arc appeared in an early issue of Look and Learn in 1962.

Examples of Giorgio Olivetti's work for be found for sale at the Illustration Art Gallery.