Mar 27, 2019
Raúl Soldi’s 114th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle celebrates the Argentinian artist Raúl Soldi, who was born in Buenos Aires on this day in 1905. From painting watercolors and church frescos to designing mosaics, theatrical costumes, stage sets, and even department store windows, his creativity spanned mediums.
The son of a cellist and opera singer, Soldi was inspired to devote his life to art after traveling through Europe in his youth. He spent five years studying in Milan, supporting himself by making illustrations for advertisements before returning to Argentina where he found work painting sets for the movie studio Argentina Sono Film and designing window displays for Harrod’s. Along the way, he also showed his work in Paris, New York, and San Francisco.
While studying scenery design in the U.S., Soldi met his future wife, Estela Gaitán, who encouraged him to devote himself to fine art. In 1953, he was commissioned to paint frescoes at the church of Santa Ana in Buenos Aires, followed by the Colón Theater in 1966. He was also commissioned to create mosaics in various churches and public spaces.
Recognized in his country and globally, a 1992 retrospective at Argentina’s Palais de Glace attracted some 500,000 visitors and his work was honored with an award at the 1958 Biennale of São Paulo, Brazil. His art can be found in many international collections including the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Happy 114th Birthday, Raúl Soldi!
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