Mattia Jona, Master Drawings and Prints, Japanese Prints - Piazzetta Guastalla 5, 20122 Milan, Italy, tel (+39) 02 8053315

GIULIO ARISTIDE SARTORIO (Rome 1860 - 1932) A GROUP OF 14 ORIGINAL DRAFTS FOR THE PAGES OF THE ILLUSTRATED BOOK 'SIBILLA', sold with a copy of the book
14 sheets of thin and strong wove paper, each c. 260 x 185 mm. On one side of each sheet there is a linear sketch for one of the illustrations, on the other one the text. A comparison with the published book shows significant differences in the illustrations, in the text and in the layout too. All the sketches and most of the text are in pen and black ink. Part of the text is written in red ink. On each side of each sheet there are several numberings; one of them is related to the numbering of the pages in the book. PROVENANCE: Ettore Cozzani (1884-1971), who was the publisher of 'Sibilla'.
Written and illustrated by Giulio Aristide Sartorio 'Sibilla, poema drammatico in quattro atti', is perhaps the greatest Italian illustrated book of the 20th century and a monument of Italian Art Nouveau. The author used relief etchings for both images and text creating a woodcut effect. The 219 full-page plates were etched in 1912-13 but the publication was delayed by the First World War.
Printed on fine wove paper, the edition was limited to 1333 numbered copies, signed by the author and by the publisher, Ettore Cozzani.
The copy of the book sold with the drawings is a fine one, in very good condition.
Each drawing is mounted in a red briar frame.

Born into a family of Roman sculptors, Sartorio attended briefly the Accademia di San Luca. He began to paint under Fortuny's influence. Later, as a student in Paris, he studied under Gerome. Sartorio also came into contact with the work of Gustave Moreau, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the other Pre-Raphaelities. In 1882 he painted one of his most important works, 'Malaria', which was partially influenced by the style of his friend Michetti. In 1883 he began to frequent the literary circles of Rome, he also developed a friendship with Gabriele D'Annunzio. In the course of his frequent trips to Paris, London and Weimar, Sartorio acquired a wide knowledge of contemporary European art. These influences encouraged Sartorio's inclination toward a suggestive 'fin de siècle' style. During the last decade of the century, Sartorio's contact with the Symbolists increased. In 1904 he was one of the founders of the 'Gruppo dei XXV della Campagna Romana'. Sartorio taught at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome and fought in the First World War. He also worked as a director on a few films.