Manuel Orazi Biography

Manuel Orazi (1860-1934), born Emmanuel Joseph Raphaël Orazi, was an Italian Art Nouveau illustrator, poster artist, jewellery designer and set creator for theatre and film.

Not much is known about him and his background is obscure. He was born in Rome on 5 October 1860.

A September 1907 manifest from SS La Provence sailing from Le Havre to Ellis Island mentions a wife residing in France: "Mrs Orazi in Fontainebleau." According to his death certificate, at the time of his death he was married to Marie Agnan and lived in Rue de l'Université 195, Paris.

In 1895 he created the Calendrier Magique, an occult-themed calendar still noted for its graphic design. Limiting it to 777 copies, he collaborated with popular French author Austin de Croze, who wrote the text.

Sympathetic to the French Decadent movement, as well as Symbolism and Aestheticism, he contributed illustrations and typographic ornaments to various books and short stories. Orazi illustrated an early Art Deco French edition of the 1891 one-act play by Oscar Wilde, Salome.

He made jewellery designs that were displayed at Maison de l'Art Nouveau in 1896. In 1899 he designed some of the first pieces of jewellery for the Maison Arnould. His jewellery designs were also sold at La Maison Moderne. Orazi designed one of the best known posters for La Maison Moderne as well as the cover of one of La Maison Moderne's catalogs which features Cleo de Merode in profile, perhaps wearing a design by Henri Van de Velde.

For her theatre at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1900, Loie Fuller commissioned Orazi to create the poster, which was printed in three editions and three colour schemes.

In 1921 he designed the sets and costumes for the silent film L'Atlantide and illustrated many promotional posters.

Orazi contributed to publications such as anarchist satirical magazine L'Assiette au Beurre, Femina, Scribner's Magazine, Je sais tout and Les Maîtres de l'Affiche.

He died in Paris on 28 October 1934.