The Conquest of the Earth

Duilio Cambellotti, one of the most significant and eclectic Italian artists 

of the early 20th century, was born in Rome in 1876 and began developing 

his craft skills at the workshop of his father Antonio, a wood carver and decorator.

 After studying at the Museum of Industrial Art in Rome he began working as 

a graphic artist, and in 1897 received a diploma to teach Applied Arts. 

Cambelotti started to work as an independent designer creating objects, lamps and jewels 

in the Art Nouveau style for Italian and International companies, as well as advertising posters. 

Inspired by the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement, he devoted himself with enthusiasm

 to all the applied arts, constantly researching and mastering new media and techniques. 

He was also one of the most prolific and innovative illustrators of his time,

and his works were regularly featured in various important literary magazines.

Around 1913 he began illustrating fairy tales and children's books 

for several important Italian publishers. 

From 1905 until the late 1940s Cambellotti designed sets and costumes for theaters

 including the Opera of Rome and the amphitheaters at Ostia, Taormina, and Syracuse.

His wide range of creative activities also included painting, printmaking, murals, 

sculpture, stained glass, architecture, interior decoration, and ceramics. 

Bull tile, 1910-12

Cambellotti felt a strong bond with the rural world, a recurring subject in his art. 

In these rural roots he found a sense of timeless authenticity lacking in contemporary society. 

However, he was conscious of the backward living condition that characterized that world, 

and together with his friend Alessandro Marcucci and the writers Giovanni Cena and Sibilla Aleramo 

he was actively involved in fighting the miserable situation of farmers in the Roman and Pontine Marshes. 

Among the works reflecting these themes, I have only recently discovered these woodcuts

 designed by Cambellotti for the covers of The conquest of the earth, a magazine  published

 by the Fascist organization Opera Nazionale Combattenti between 1935 and 1939. 

Throughout this vast body of work, the animal world remains one of Cambellotti's 

main sources of inspiration. And naturally, I'll share more of his art in the near future...

Franco Matticchio

From the Farm to the Jungle

Lost and Found, 1981

If you have been following Animalarium for a while, you have likely already seen some works

  by the American painter, illustrator and author Dahlov Ipcar. It's about time that I dedicate

 a full post to this wonderful artist!

World Full of Horses, 1981, thanks to SurrendrDorothy

 Ipcar was born in 1917, the second child of the renowned artists William and Marguerite Zorach, 

and grew up in New York. When her artistic talent began to manifest itself at an early age, 

her parents didn't enroll her in any art courses, but instead encouraged and nurtured her talent 

in the creative atmosphere of their home, leaving her free to develop her unique personal style. 

One Horse Farm, 1950

Animals were always a part of Dahlov's life: her family's pets rincluded Maine Coon cats, dalmatian dogs, 

rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, goldfish, finches and parakeets. As a young child she dreamt of living in a farm, 

and animals were already her favorite subject, especially jungle wildlife. The family spent their summers

 in the countryside, and in 1923 they bought a large farm on Georgetown Island, Maine. 

Ten Big Farms, 1958

In 1936, at age 19, Dahlov married Adolph Ipcar, and the following winter the young couple

 moved into a farmhouse on her parent's property. Both enjoyed their simple rural life devoid

 of modern conveniences such as electricity, indoor plumbing and central heating. 

They learnt the skills necessary for living off the land from neighbors and old manuals,
and started their own dairy farm. Besides cows, they raised poultry, horses and pigs,

all without outside help. 

Brown Cow Farm, 1959

While working on the farm and raising her two sons, Ipcar continued to work on her art.

 Her chosen subjects were family portraits and scene of farm life. In 1945 she illustrated 

her first children's book, The Little Fisherman by Margaret Wise Brown. 

Hard Scrabble Harvest, 1976

The book's success launched her artistic career, and she went on to write and illustrate

 over thirty children's books of her own. Numerous of these books are based 

on her joyful and frustrating experiences while working on the farm.

 In the '50s Dahlov began experimenting with new artistic ideas, and found inspiration in her childhood love 
for exotic animals. The 1960 book Calico Jungle marked a turning point in her style: the intricate patterns
 and bold colors of these illustrations were to become defining elements of her work.

The Cat at Night, 1969

Bug City, 1975

Blue Savannah, 1978

King Cheetas

Amboseli - Kudo and Wild Dogs, 1976

Dahlov's creative output includes a variety of other projects, including soft sculptures, large-scale murals

 for public buildings, four fantasy novels, and a volume of short stories for adults. Now 92,

 she continues to live on her farm, while her beloved husband died in 2003 at the age of 98. 

Celeste from the Dahlov Ipcar Rug Collection

Still feisty and energetic, Dahlov paints on a daily basis and is at works on new children's books.

 Fortunately, many of her older titles are being republished by Islandport Press, while a line of rugs

 and pillow's reproducing designs from her children's books is available at the Classic Rug Collection.

 Dahlov's works are in many permanent collections, including the Metropolitan and Whitney museums. 

Gebrauchsgraphik - part 1

Next Monday I start teaching courses again, and for the next nine months graphic design 

will be my bread and butter. While doing research for my history classes, I have discovered

many interesting books and publications, such the design magazine Gebrauchsgraphik.

Founded in 1924 in Berlin by professor H.K. Frensel, Gebrauchsgraphik (Commercial Graphics) 

was one of the first European journals devoted to graphic design, advertising and related subjects

 such as illustration and typography. This monthly magazine was published bilingually in German and English,

 and showcased a variety of high quality, innovative ads, posters and other graphics to an international audience. 

The works displayed often reflected the major artistic trends of the time, and during the 1920s–30s

 most commercial art was influenced by Art Deco, the Bauhaus and the avant-garde movements. 

Almost all the covers in this selection were first posted on the great website Designers Books by Sébastien Hayez. 

In the near future I am going to feature a collection of stunning covers from the 1950s. 

Cover by Julius Klinger

Bath Time

Bobby Bear's Annual, 1949, thanks to Tania Covo

May Byron, Cecil Aldin’s merry party, 1913

M. Belyaeva, The wolf and the goat, thanks to Ban Galbasi

 Leonard Weisgard, The clean pig, 1952

Franciszka Themerson, 1946, via Garaż ilustracji książkowych, thanks to ela

Jean de Brunhoff, Babar, 1931

James Marshall, George and Martha, 1997

 Elisabeth Brozowska, Isidore L'Hippopotame, 1969, thanks to illustration s'il vous plaît

Raymond Savignac, 1949

Alain Grée, thanks to mimi the minx

swig

WildLifePrints

puikeprent

Gahan Wilson, 2004


Follow this link to see who else is in the bathtub...