Louis Toffoli - Manuela wool tapestry - Robert Four Workshops

Louis Toffoli (1907-1999) Wool tapestry Manuela model Robert Four workshops in Aubusson Hand-screen printed with wool core Limited edition of 580 copies Label on the back, signed lower right Height: 115cm Width: 84cm Very good condition, slight lacks *On October 16, 1907, Louis Toffoli was born to a Slovenian mother and an Italian father in Trieste, Italy. Louis became a famous painter and lithographer of his generation. He died on February 18, 1999 in Créteil, France. History of Louis Toffoli At a very young age, the artist was confronted with the First World War. The situation worsened on May 20, 1915, when Italy entered the war against the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father was immediately imprisoned by the Austrians and his family fled to Padua or Florence. His father died shortly after in 1918, leaving him alone with his mother and two sisters. Louis, whose main source of inspiration was the travels his father told him about, was disoriented. In 1924, he studied at the Naval Academy in Trieste but was forced to abandon his studies and became a blacksmith. Motivated and determined to pursue art, he enrolled at the Fine Arts School in his city to take evening classes. In 1930, he took advantage of an organized trip and decided to flee the fascist regime to settle in Paris. There, he lived in the Goutte d'Or district with his wife Sylvia. And although nothing seemed to be going his way, a golden opportunity presented itself. The fashion designer Denis Kalman hired him in his workshop in the Faubourg Saint Honoré. Louis then worked as a model maker. In 1935, he returned to his favorite field: painting. He exhibited his works at the Salon d'Automne, the Salon des Indépendants, and many other venues. But in 1950, lithography would open the doors to fame, and his paintings would be exhibited worldwide: Spain, Morocco, Israel, the United States, Brazil, and more.