L'Amore dei Tre Re

Artist: Luigi Emilio Caldanzano Italian (1880-1928)

Title: L'Amore dei Tre Re

Plate: R. 48

Description: Condition A.
Original lithograph from the "Ricordi Portfolio" 
Printed in Italy 1914. View entire collection (70)
Presented in 16 in x 20 in acid free, archival museum mat, with framing labels. Ready to frame. Shipped boxed flat via Fedex. 
Certificate of Authenticity.

Sheet Size: 10 in x 14 in 25.5 cm x 35.5 cm

Price: Temporarily out of stock

I can usually source this poster. If you are interested please contact me. Greg


L'amore dei tre re (The Love of the Three Kings) is an opera in three acts by Italo Montemezzi. Its Italian-language libretto was written by playwright Sem Benelli who based it on his play of the same title.

"The opera was first performed, to mixed reviews, at La Scala on April 10
th 1913. However, it really took off the following year at the ‘Met’ under Toscanini’s baton. The story concerns Fiora  who, for political reasons, has been forced to marry Manfredo , the son of the blind King Archibaldo (bass). Whilst her husband is away fighting a campaign on behalf of his father, Fiora takes a lover . She refuses to reveal the identity of her lover when caught unawares by her blind father-in-law and he strangles her . Knowing her lover will return to her he smears poison on her dead lips. His plan succeeds, not only for her lover, but also his son, as both kiss her lips in farewell." (musicweb-international.com)

"This is a selection from the very rare commemorative portfolio published by the renowned Italian printer Ricordi in 1914. The portfolio consisted of 70 lithographic plates (smaller versions) of Ricordi's greatest posters printed between 1895 and 1914. Many of the images in the series are so rare that they can be found today in no other format. In the 1870s, Ricordi opened an in-house lithography shop to promote its operas and sheet music business. Ricordi quickly became the leading lithographer in Italy and by 1895 was creating posters for other clients such as Campari, the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, and the Mele Department store of Naples. Under the tutelage of Adolfo Hohenstein, a brilliant stable of artists emerged at Ricordi.

Artists Cappiello, Caldanzano, Cavaleri, Dudovich, Laskoff, Metlicovitz and Mataloni brought Art Nouveau, known as Stile Liberty in Italy, to a world class level. Much like the famous Maitre de L'Affiche series created by Cheret in Paris, this portfolio celebrated the rise of the poster - which in Italy was almost single-handedly accomplished by Ricordi." (www.internationalposter.com)