''L 'Amore'', 1948 - art by Anselmo Ballester
by Movie World Posters
Title
''L 'Amore'', 1948 - art by Anselmo Ballester
Artist
Movie World Posters
Medium
Mixed Media - Vintage Movie Posters
Description
A vintage movie poster of Italian film, ''L 'Amore'', also known as "Ways of Love" in English, is a 1948 Italian anthology film directed by Roberto Rossellini. The film consists of two segments, both starring the acclaimed Italian actress Anna Magnani. Each segment explores themes of love and relationships in different ways. Here's a description of the movie:
Segment 1: "The Human Voice" ("Una voce umana"):
The first segment, "The Human Voice," is based on a play by Jean Cocteau and features Anna Magnani in a powerful one-woman performance. The segment follows a woman, portrayed by Magnani, as she engages in a dramatic telephone conversation with her lover, who is preparing to marry another woman. The woman's emotional turmoil and desperation are on full display as she pours her heart out to her lover over the phone. "The Human Voice" delves into themes of love, loss, and the intensity of human emotions in the face of heartbreak.
Segment 2: "The Miracle" ("Il miracolo"):
The second segment, "The Miracle," explores a different aspect of love and faith. In this segment, Anna Magnani plays a mentally disturbed woman who believes she has had a divine encounter and has become pregnant by a holy figure. Her story attracts the attention of the local villagers, who are both fascinated and skeptical of her claims. "The Miracle" examines the intersection of faith, superstition, and human desire.
"L'Amore" is celebrated for its exploration of human emotions and relationships, as well as its experimental and artistic approach to storytelling. Anna Magnani's performances in both segments are particularly noteworthy, showcasing her dramatic range and emotional depth.
The film is also notable for its collaboration with Roberto Rossellini, one of the prominent directors of Italian neorealism. Rossellini's innovative filmmaking techniques and his exploration of complex human emotions contribute to the film's impact.
"L'Amore" is considered a significant work in Italian cinema, offering a glimpse into the post-World War II era and the evolving artistic landscape of Italian filmmaking. It reflects the artistic and creative experimentation of its time, making it a notable entry in the filmography of Anna Magnani and Roberto Rossellini.
About the artist:
Anselmo Ballester (1897–1974) was a noted Italian painter and film poster designer from Rome. He was the son of Federico Ballester (Rome, 1868–1926), a painter of Spanish origins. Inspired by his father's artistic endeavors growing up, Anselmo completed his first works at 15.
After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, he specialized in film advertising for the most important silent film production houses. He created posters and other advertising material for CINES, Caesar Film, and numerous other studios.
In his studio in Rome, via della Croce 50a (then via della Passeggiata Ripetta 19), he spent almost 50 years creating thousands of sketches for playbills and paintings for film posters. He went on to form the design company BCM along with two other prominent Italian poster artists, Alfredo Capitani and Luigi Martinati
The movie posters Ballester created between the 1930s and 1950s showcased his unique painting style using tempera medium and bold colors. They typically featured one or two significant characters. His style is reminiscent of pulp fiction covers and, like the best cinema advertisements, were infused with intrigue, conflict, and passion. His works were uncomplicated yet rich in detail, a techniqe and style he himself describes:
"To become a creator of film posters ... it is necessary to study passionately, always to draw and paint everything from the truth. Then you can let your imagination run free. Whether you are creating a work of art, or a more humble advertising poster, you must be able to attract the interest of the public, to satisfy both the most refined people and the roughest, who are the majority."
From a stylistic and compositional point of view, Alfredo Ballester began by drawing inspiration from the advertising posters of Art Nouveau, and then he defined his personal code. The painter exhibited a common layout in his movie posters: the actor or actress beautifully portrayed in the foreground, and one or two scenes from the film in the background.
To achieve this result, he used a methodical technique, making numerous sketches of the project only after having the best two selected by the client, he devoted himself to the final painting, strictly handmade.
Ballester's color palette, however, was his greatest talent. The artist used colors expressively, as a tool to convey emotions. The portraits of the stars were extremely realistic but often colored with unnatural hues such as pinks or intense light blues. Ballester illustrated his characters with colors capable of conveying the range of feelings transmitted by the film.
He was written about in "Anselmo Ballester: the Origins of the Film Poster," published by the University of Parma, Study Center and Communication Archive in 1981. In addition, Dave Kerr made extensive use of his images in his 2003 book, "Italian Film Posters, "published by The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Permanent collections of his work are displayed at the University of Parma, Communication Studies Center and Archive (CSAC) and the Cinema Museum in Brush, Montecosaro.
To see more of his posters search by his last name.
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May 30th, 2021
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