Toffoli Tapestry, Robert Four Workshops, Aubusson,

Tapestry by Louis Toffoli* (based on the artist’s sketch) “Les Enfants du Soleil,” produced by the Robert Four workshops in Aubusson (signed lower left), 20th century.

This tapestry is in good condition. Signed at the bottom by the artist (right) and the workshop (left).

Note: minimal wear from age, see photos.

was a French painter and lithographer born in Trieste (then part of the Austrian coast) on October 16, 1907, to an Italian father and a Slovenian mother, and died on February 18, 1999, in Créteil.  Successively Austro-Hungarian, then Italian and French, Toffoli described himself as “from Trieste” and signed his paintings neither as Luigi nor Louis, but simply as Toffoli. 
In 1924, he entered the Naval Academy in Trieste but was forced to interrupt his studies. He then became a blacksmith, a physically demanding trade that influenced his perception of movement and manual labor. At the same time, he took evening classes at the Academy of Fine Arts in Trieste, where he began to develop his own artistic vision.  In 1930, fleeing fascism, he left Italy and settled in France, in Paris, in the Goutte d’Or neighborhood. The early days were difficult, but he eventually joined the studio of fashion designer Denis Kalman on the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, where he worked as a patternmaker. This experience in haute couture enriched his sense of detail, materials, and forms. In 1935, Toffoli returned fully to painting. He exhibited his first works at the Parisian Salons: the Salon d’Automne, the Salon des Indépendants, among others. There he developed a personal style, drawing on his life experiences, his sense of movement, and his interest in faces and scenes of everyday life. But it was in the 1950s, with his discovery of lithography, that his career took on a truly international dimension. This technique allowed him to enhance the light and transparency that characterize his style. He became one of the great French masters of contemporary lithography. Louis Toffoli’s works are exhibited around the world: the United States, Brazil, Morocco, Spain, and of course in France. His art transcends borders and cultures, driven by an aesthetic that is both human and universal.  In 1995, a museum dedicated to him opened in Charenton-le-Pont, where he lived. This venue pays tribute to his entire body of work and bears witness to the impact of his art on French cultural heritage .

• Dimensions 144 cm x 108.5 cm
• F30 1277
• All photos are available at:
  www.antiques-delaval.com