TOSCA (1918) Italian poster by Tito Corbella

Vintage original 39 x 105″ (100 x 270 cm.) Italian poster. Olga Benetti, Frecesca Bertini, Vittorio Bianchi, Luigi Cigoli, Alfredo De Antoni, dir: Alfredo De Antoni; Caesar Film. Professionally conserved on linen and now displays like new, very good.

Italian version of the famous story based on the Victorien Sardou play, a print of which is still in existence. A stunning Art Nouveau-style portrait of star Francesca Bertini as Floria Tosca.

This prolific star of the Italian cinema, one of film’s first true divas, was also a writer and director. She made the first of her 140 films in 1907 and her last in 1976 (most were made before 1935), Bertolucci’s 1900. Bertini was the ultimate diva of 1910s-era Italian film, the most celebrated and most adulated of Italian movie actresses of her generation. She married count Paul Cartier, and lived a life of luxury until her passing at the age of 93.

Poster artwork is by Tito Corbella (1885-1966), a famous painter noted for portraits, nudes, and also for his now-highly collected Art Deco postcard designs. As was often the case with early silent posters there is no title, because the poster would then be exported to numerous different countries.