Mariano Fortuny Biography
Mariano Fortuny was born on May 11, 1871 in Granada, Spain, into a family of renowned artists. Together with his mother and sister he moved to Paris where he studied painting with Benjamin Constant and sculpture at Rodin's atelier. It was in Paris that his artistic talent came to light. In 1889 he moved to Venice, where he spent the rest of his artistic career with frequent trips abroad. Mariano possessed great creativity that made him a prolific artist, as well as a painter, engraver, bookbinder, sculptor, photographer, architect and inventor. He was an all-round artist, making his own colors and dyes and making his own painting brushes. His invention, the "Fortuny dome", revolutionized stage lighting and theatrical scenography, putting into practice his theories on indirect and diffused light. In 1897, in Paris, Mariano met his muse, Henriette Negrin, who moved into his home-atelier in Palazzo Orfei in Venice. Henriette's unconditional support was fundamental for Mariano's artistic flowering, who in 1907 entered the world of fashion with the "Delphos", a dress in very fine silk pleats and glass pearls. Mariano continued his passion for fine arts and design until his death in his Venetian home on 11 May 1949.
