Leonetto Cappiello
Portrait of Leonetto Cappiello
Leonetto Cappiello (1875–1942) was an Italian poster artist, born in Livorno, who became known as the father of modern advertising.
He began as a caricaturist before turning to the poster, taking inspiration from French poster artists such as Jules Chéret and then stripping the form down to a single, bold, unforgettable image set against a dark ground. His posters for Campari, Cinzano, Chocolat Klaus and the other great aperitivo-era brands defined the look of Italian advertising in the early twentieth century — jesters, devils and leaping oranges that could be read across a boulevard.
Cappiello hangs in our journal rather than on the print racks: the story series below returns to his Campari-era work poster by poster.
