Trieste celebrates Leopold Metlicovitz on the 150th anniversary of his birth

An exhibition at the Museo Civico Revoltella in Trieste will be dedicated to Leopoldo Metlicovitz, one of the masters of Italian poster art, the author of dozens of posters dedicated to commercial and industrial products, major events such as the 1906 Milan International Exposition, operas and silent film, from December 16, 2018 to March 17, 2019.

On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the artist’s birth,“Metlicovitz. The Art of Desire. Posters of a pioneer of advertising,” the first major monographic exhibition dedicated to him, will present to the public 73 posters, three paintings and a rich selection of minor graphics, such as postcards, magazine covers, and sheet music, which will allow the public to trace his entire artistic production. The works, which come from the Salce Collection National Museum in Treviso, Trieste’s civic collections and private collections, will be divided into eight sections: seven in the Revoltella Museum and one, dedicated to theatrical posters for operas and operettas, in the Attilio Selva Room of the Gopcevich Palace, home of the “Carlo Schmidl” Civic Theater Museum.

“Metlicovitz’s poster production was particularly intense in the years leading up to the Great War, with the creation of authentic masterpieces that have long remained in the visual memory of Italians and are still widely cited and reproduced in every study of the evolution of advertising messages in the twentieth century. To this excellent artist, characteristically shy and estranged from all worldliness, the proofs - fascinating for verve and stylistic elegance - he devolved both to commercial realities such as the popular Neapolitan department stores of the Mele Brothers and to themusical and theatrical universe, spiritually congenial to him (an acquaintance of Verdi, he was especially a friend of Puccini), is dedicated to this exhibition, which aims to represent the ”whole Metlicovitz,“ an extraordinary poster artist, certainly, but also an excellent painter and effective graphic designer and illustrator,” says Roberto Curci, curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition is directed by Laura Carlini Fanfogna, director of the Museums and Libraries Service, and Marta Mazza, director of the National Museum Collezione Salce, and is promoted and realized by the City of Trieste - Department of Culture, Sports and Youth - School, Education, Culture and Sport Area - Museums and Libraries Service in collaboration with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities - Polo Museale del Veneto - Salce Collection National Museum of Treviso and with the contribution of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region.

From April 6 to August 18, 2019, the exhibition will be transferred to the Museo Nazionale Collezione Salce in Treviso.

For info: www.museorevoltella.it www.museoschmidl.it

Hours: Museo Revoltella daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.

Museo Civico Teatrale “Carlo Schmidl” daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Image: Leopoldo Metlicovitz, Sauzé Frères (1908-10; chromolithograph on paper, 110.1 x 79.6 cm; Treviso, Museo Nazionale Collezione Salce).

Trieste celebrates Leopold Metlicovitz on the 150th anniversary of his birth

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