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Matania - Artist Details and Print Database

Matania

Fortunnino Matania was born in Naples in 1881, the son of the artist Eduoardo Matania. Fortunnino studied ast his fathers studio, exhibiting his first work at the Naples Academy at the tender age of 11. By his early teens Fortunino Matania was helping his father produce illustrations for Italian Books and magazines and he moved at the age of 20 to Paris to work for the magazine Lillustration Francaise. Subsequently, he moved to London, initially to cover the coronation of King Edward VII but then to work as an illustrator for the famous magazines, The Graphic and the Sphere. in this role he covered every major event, including the Christening, marriages, funerals and Coronations of British Royalty, up to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Matania was also noted for his military paintings, During the First World War he was employed by the ministry of propaganda to visit the western front on several occasions and his drawings and paintings of the conflict appeared in the illustrated London News and the Lillustration Francaise. Matania exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy and at the Royal Institute from 1908. For almost 20 years from 1929 he also wrote and illustrated stories for the magazine Britannia and Eve. These were so popular that he also made a highly successful sideline producing illustrations for advertising posters and catalogues. His work was also recommended to the great Hollywood director Cecil B DeMille and he produced a number of designs of Rome and Egypt for the famous film Teh Ten Commandments. Tpwards the end of his life, Matania also illustrated features for the educational childrens weekly Look and Learn, and he was working on their series A Pageant of Kings at the time of his death in 1963.

Matania Art Prints, Paintings and Drawings

William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings by Matania.


William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings by Matania.
One edition.
£10.00

Richard Lionheart at the Battle of Acre by Matania.


Richard Lionheart at the Battle of Acre by Matania.
One edition.
£10.00

Goodbye My Old Friend by Matania. (GL)

Goodbye My Old Friend by Matania. (GL)
3 editions.
£400.00 - £600.00



Text for the above items :

William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings by Matania.

William the Conqueror feigned a withdrawal of his cavalry, the Saxon infantry again could not resist to break ranks and pursue the cavalry. Halfway down the hill Williams knights turned and charged the Saxon infantry. King Harold at this time was mortally wounded from an arrow in the eye and the victory was won by the Normans. Each side lost a quarter of their men and during the fighting William the Conqueror had three horses killed under him. Later he ordered the building of Battle Abbey on the battlefield. The way was clear to London and William the Conqueror was crowned King of England on Christmas day at Westminster Abbey.


Richard Lionheart at the Battle of Acre by Matania.

Richard the Lionhearts tactical skills and military training played a substantial role in the capture of Acre in 1191 by the Crusaders. But Richard the Lionheart was ruthless and after the capture of the city he marched 2,700 Muslim soldiers onto the road of Nazareth and in front of the Muslim army positions, had them executed one by one. But Richard the Lionheart was up against a great leader in Saladin and the crusades did not always go his way. After he negotiated the Treaty of Jaffa with Saladin and secured the granting of special rights of travel around Palestine and in Jerusalem for Christian pilgrims, Richard the Lionheart started his journey back to England in 1192. He was shipwrecked, and captured by the German Emperor Henry VI, only being released after a 150,000 mark ransom was paid. This money was raised by taxes in England.


Goodbye My Old Friend by Matania. (GL)

This is a stunning print of one of the most celebrated paintings of the first world war. A wonderful depiction of human emothion n times of conflict. Matanias work shows a young soldier tenderly cradling the head of his stricken horse, even as shells burst around him, and a comrade urges him onward. Matania was commissioned in 1916 by the Blue Cross fund to produce a picture illustrating the heroisn of the animals involved in the war. The blue cross fund has been set up by Our Dumb Friends league in 1912, to assists animals during the Balken war, and it later paid £130 for the painting. This was money well spent as the scene, subtitled An incident on the road to a battery position in Southern Flanders, achieved iconic status. The work was printed in numerous publications thoughout the world, with thw Belgium magazine Le Grande Guerre asserting, below the image Les Anglais ont pour leurs chevaux une grande amiti (The English have a great love for their horses). Over one million horses saw service with the british Army during the First world war.

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