Renato Fratini (1932 – 1973) was an Italian commercial artist who specialized in cinema posters and book covers. An exceedingly prolific artist with a most impressive and expansive portfolio, Fratini’s heyday was in 1960s London, where he painted memorable posters for films like Lawrence Of Arabia and From Russia With Love.

Admittedly, I was not familiar with the artist’s work until I chanced upon this art book’s Kickstarter program, but I was immediately drawn to his particular style of painting, which quickly reminded me of yet another legendary artist, the great Robert McGinnis.

Priced at 210 AUD ( about $150 USD ) for the regular ( lowest tier ) edition, this was not a cheap book to fund, but I was convinced by the quality of the art work presented. I am glad upon receipt of the book that it is fantastic; the preview images I’ve included below are but a very small sampling of the entire collection of art work showcased, running at an impressive 448 pages, with over 900 pieces of art work.

(above & below) The giant hardcover volume is housed in a sturdy cardboard.

(above & below) Pieces like these bring to mind the work of Robert McGinnis; even the color palette used by both artists are somewhat similar.

I’m very delighted to have discovered the amazing work of Renato Fratini through this Kickstarter program, and the book itself has also exceeded my expectations. As I mentioned previously, the book is fairly costly, but it is definitely good value especially since the item won’t be available in stores.

Availability : This was a Kickstarter funded art book that has since ended. According to the Kickstarter page, remaining copies from the first edition will be released via renatofratini.com once fulfilment is complete.

The Art Of Renato Fratini art book details :

– Dimensions – 9 x 12 inches
– Hardcover, 448 pages
– Full color

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