Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
Raúl Soldi (27 March 1905 – 21 April 1994) was an Argentine artist, painter, and set designer known for his colorful, expressive paintings and his work on numerous films and theater productions.
Life and Career
He was born in Buenos Aires on 27 March 1905. Soldi studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Argentina, where he was influenced by the Italian Renaissance painters. He began his career as a muralist, creating large-scale works for public buildings and institutions, including the National Library of Argentina and the Argentine National Congress.
In the 1940s, Soldi began working in the film industry as a set designer, creating elaborate and detailed sets for some of the most important Argentine films of the era. He worked with some of the most prominent directors of the time, including Leopoldo Torres Ríos, Luis Saslavsky, and Hugo del Carril.
Soldi’s work in film led to his becoming a sought-after set and costume designer for theater productions as well. He worked with some of the most prominent theaters in Argentina, including the Teatro Colón, creating sets and costumes for productions of operas, ballets, and plays.
Throughout his career, Soldi also continued to create his own artwork, producing colorful, expressive paintings that often featured themes of nature and the human form. He experimented with a variety of techniques and styles, including watercolor, oil, and mixed media.
He died on 21 April 1994 at an age of 89 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Award and Legacy
Raúl Soldi’s contributions to art and set design were recognized with numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In addition to the Grand Prize for Painting at the Buenos Aires National Fine Arts Salon and the Konex Award, he was also awarded the National Arts Award by the Argentine government in 1982, and was designated a “distinguished citizen” of Buenos Aires in 1984.
Soldi’s legacy is evident in his extensive body of work, which includes paintings, murals, set and costume designs, and illustrations. He is regarded as one of the most important artists of the Argentine modernist movement, and his work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and publications.
Soldi’s influence can be seen in the work of many contemporary Argentine artists and set designers, who continue to draw inspiration from his colorful, expressive style and his innovative use of materials and techniques. His legacy also extends to the film and theater industries, where his elaborate and detailed sets continue to be admired and emulated.
Overall, Raúl Soldi’s legacy as an artist and set designer in Argentina is an enduring one, and his contributions to the country’s cultural heritage continue to be celebrated and studied today.
On 27 March 2019, Google celebrated Raúl Soldi’s 114th Birthday with a doodle.