Bold, Designing Fellows - Italian Decorative and Scenic Artists in Nineteenth-Century America

A fascinating, beautifully illustrated narrative of a neglected group of artist designers and their impact on American visual culture in the nineteenth century.
Written by former Victoria Mansion curator Arlene Palmer, this volume is the result of many years of research of Giuseppe Guidicini, the previously unknown Bolognese artist who in 1860 was responsible for the design and decoration of the extraordinary wall and ceiling paintings that fill Victoria Mansion in Portland, Maine. Palmer's meticulous pursuit of Guidicini's history, from his training in Italy to his accomplishments in such cities as New York, Cincinnati, and Richmond, led to the discovery of a small but highly influential network of Italian immigrant decorative painters and scenic artists who made exceptional contributions to the artistic, architectural, and theatrical heritage of the United States between 1820 and 1880.
Drawing on a colorful and rich vocabulary inspired by the paintings of ancient Rome and the Italian Renaissance, Guidicini and his compatriots elevated the interiors of many structures with their "fresco painting," It was chiefly through their spectacular ornamentation of theatres and opera houses, starting in the 1820s, that the fashion for sophisticated Italianate design began to spread and become an integral part of the visual experience of nineteenth-century Americans.

About the author

Arlene Palmer is a former curator at Victoria Mansion in Portland, Maine and a former curator at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. She is a recognized authority in the field of glass and ceramics, and has published numerous books and articles and works as a consultant to museums and historic houses.

Product details

• Authors: Arlene Palmer, Palmer Arlene
• Publisher: Pan macmillan Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 05.05.2026
• EAN: 9781917273213
• ISBN: 978-1-917273-21-3
• Illustrations: Illustrations
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Art > Interior design, design; ARCHITECTURE / Interior Design / General, Professional interior design, Decorative arts, DESIGN / History & Criticism, DESIGN / Decorative Arts, History of art & design styles: c 1800 to c 1900, c 1800 to c 1900, 19th century, c 1800 to c 1899, History of Art, Industrial / commercial art & design, history of design, Architecture: interior design, ART / History / 19th Century