Felice Tosalli Biography
Felice Tosalli was born in Turin in 1883. From a young age, he became passionate about woodworking thanks to frequenting the carpentry workshop run by his father. After completing his studies at the prestigious Royal Albertina Academy of Fine Arts, he made a trip to Paris (1905-1907) which proved fundamental for his artistic training. During his stay in Paris, he had the opportunity to carefully observe the animal world at the Jardin des Plantes and to perfect his sculptural technique at a laboratory specialized in furniture restoration and production.
Returning to Italy in 1909, he exhibited for the first time in a public exhibition at the "LXVIII Exhibition of the Society Promoting Fine Arts of Turin". Between 1907 and 1915, he worked as a sculptor, but also as an advertising graphic designer, illustrator, lithographer and poster designer for the emerging film industry.
In 1920, he joined the Circolo degli Artisti of Turin, exhibiting constantly until 1932. During this period, he also received considerable critical acclaim thanks to his intense exhibition activity between 1921 and 1925.
Thanks to the introduction into the environment of the Savoy Court by Princess Bona Sancipriano of Bavaria of Savoy, Tosalli received important commissions, including one for an opera called "Charioteer", intended for Mussolini, commissioned by Filiberto of Savoy.
In 1928, he began to collaborate as a ceramic sculptor with the Lenci factory, while in the 1930s he was called to work for the German company Rosenthal.
After a long period of absence from the Turin exhibition scene, in 1935 a solo exhibition was held at the Sala d'Arte Lombardi in Piazza Castello, where drawings and sculptures, largely unpublished, on mythological and literary themes, characterized by a style symbolist. In addition to these works, wooden sculptures depicting wild animals in their characteristic attitudes are also exhibited, which make Tosalli famous as an original and refined animalier.
Felice Tosalli died in 1958 and the following year the Circolo degli Artisti of Turin dedicated a retrospective to him. In 1990, a monograph on him was published by Alfonso Panzetta.
