Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Mariano Fortuny

While on my first trip to Venice last November, I developed a bit of an obsession with Mariano Fortuny.  His palazzo was where Axel Vervoordt showed his exhibit for the Bienniale, and if it wasn't for that I'd probably never had gone to the Palazzo Orfei.  The only thing I knew was the name of the impossibly expensive Fortuny fabrics; I didn't realize that in his life he accomplished so much more.

He now is of course most famous for his lavish fabrics, still made secretly in the same factory in Venice.  But he also was a master photographer (see previous Henry James post), able to figure out the camera before many others.  A famous fashion designer: Sarah Bernhardt, Marchesa Casati, Lady Diana Cooper, Isadora Duncan to name a few were all customers.  His name is even mentioned by Proust in The Remembrance of Things Past.  Master inventor: 22 (!) patents were taken out in his name, most of which were for the theater which are still used today; ie: lighting controlled back-stage, the lighting of quarter-domes found in most theaters, photographic papers, fabric printing techniques, etc. Not to mention painter of countless paintings and sculptor...The man was a genius.


Delphos Gown, 1909

He rented a few rooms in the Palazzo Pesaro degli Orfei with his wife to work and gradually bought the rest little by little until the entire palace was his home/studio, and thankfully today we can go and explore it ourselves.  The Vervoordt exhibit was amazing, but I think discovering about him and his work, seeing where he worked, smelling the oil paint (still!) was all the more thrilling!


I read a brief biography about him, but can't really find something more substantial...does it exist?  If it does, please let me know.  If not, I think I want to write his full story.

I can easily say this is my favorite place in Italy I've seen so far, so if you come, please visit it, or better yet, let me know and I'll meet you there.

Editor's update:  For more information get thee to Acquired Objects well-informed and fascinating posts (here here and here)that completely put mine to shame!  You will not be disappointed!

7 comments:

Heather Robinson said...

Yes, I would love to visit. As for more information, you might want to contact Debra who has the blog Acquired Objects. She is antique textiles dealer and has recently done a series on Fortuny--perhaps she could direct you towards further sources?

Reggie Darling said...

I visited the museum many years ago, and found it entrancing. Not ony was Mr. Fortuny an inventor extraordinaire, but he also painted rather a lot of rather cheesey cheescake paintings of barely clothed young ladies, which hung in marvelous juxtaposition to the sumptuous interiors of the palazzo, I found... RD

DM said...

Lost- Thank you for the heads up! More information than I could ask for!

Reggie- He was certainly a jack of all trades, I'm so glad you agree with me on his way of enchantig us...

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post! His fabrics are my absolute favorite!

They are without question, very expensive, but they are treasures! Even a tiny piece is worth preserving and using!!

Fortuny, Inc. said...

Great post! Have you read Guillermo de Osma's "Mariano Fortuny, His Life and Work"? If not, we recommend it!

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