M. BETTINELLI TEATRO SCALA. 551/2x381/2 inches. Motorfano & Valcarenghi, Milan. Condition B+: restored losses and restoration in margins; vertical and horizontal folds. Neither Bolaffi's catalogue of Italian posters nor Benezit's dictionary of artists' biographies turns up any reference to Bettinelli. Yet he was obviously an illustrator of some talent, producing this amusing, busy image, reminiscent of Jean Veber. The people who are caricatured in the poster were no doubt celebrities connected to this "free muse," the event that Veglione launched at the prestigious Scala de Milano (an event similar to the masked balls thrown at the Paris Opera). A rare image.
