Historic Opera

LEOPOLDO METLICOVITZ

Leopoldo Metlicovitz (1868: Trieste, Italy - 1944), like Hohenstein, was a commercial artist, lithographer, painter, and graphic artist. He did many opera designs and many of his creations found their way to posters, postcards, and other paper media to advertise new operatic works or Italian products.

One set attributed to Metlicovitz is a set of Verdi cards published in 1900. His postcards can be identified by an "LM". They have undivided backs. This Verdi set and the Germania set are the most difficult to find.

Metlicovitz's nouveau Tosca set is marvelous. Like the Butterfly set, it consists of twelve postcards. The earliest postcards from this set are numbered and have undivided backs.

I know that the images for the Verdi and the Tosca sets were originally created in watercolor form, and you can clearly see that characteristic in the Verdi portrait.

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Tosca Set:

(060) Tosca laying over Cavaradossi's body.
(061) Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner, takes refuge in a side chapel.
(062) Tosca hovering over the tortured Cavaradossi.
(063) Tosca with knife after stabbing Scarpia.
(064) Inside the church.
(065) Tosca and the dead Cavaradossi alone on top of the Castel Sant'Angelo.
(066) Scarpia offering his hand to Tosca.
(067) One of Scarpia's henchmen delivering news.
(068) Cavaradossi painting while the sacristan looks on.
(069) Scarpia offering holy water to Tosca.
(070) Cavaradossi kissing Tosca.
(071) Cavaradossi in front of the firing squad.

Note: There are at least two separate printings of the Tosca set. Both have undivided backs but one set has red lettering and one set is printed in brownish black.

Verdi Set:

(92) Verdi e i Cigni
(93) Il Lago
(94) Viale dei Pioppi
(95) Ingresso alla Villa
(96) Le Mura di Busseto
(97) Gli Argini al Po.
(98) Cascina ove Nacque Verdi
(99) La Camera del Maestro
(100) (Verdi - full length)
(101) I due Favoriti
(102) Bioto e Verdi
(103) Black, Yvette e Moschino

Germania Set (known so far)

(150) Germania - Epilogo
(153) Germania - Epilogo