Giuseppe Fontanelli, better known as Bissietta, (10 April 1910 – 11 December 1977) was an Italian artist, remembered in Italy for his illustrations and comic strips, and whose later career included twenty years in Australia, where he taught painting and produced works in an abstract impressionist style.
He created the character "Nottolino" for the children's newspaper Jumbo (which closed 1938 after being banned), and a comic strip version of the epic poem Orlando Furioso.
Notably, his 27-card set Topolino e il Mostro di Loch-Ness featured "Topolino", a faithful copy of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse character, uncredited, unauthorised and probably illegal; the first of several Italian artists to copy the great American cartoonist, others being "Buriko" (Antonio Burattini) and "Guasta" (Guglielmo Guastaveglia).
In 1944 he produced Fiori di ghibli (Flowers of the Saharan wind), a collection of thoughts and impressions from his time in Africa, dedicated to his seven-year-old daughter Magda, followed in 1946 by Orme (Footprints), a series of illustrated poems, both published in book form by Gastaldi.
His original intention was to report on Australia for the international press in Turin,[4] and his travel permits were for two years,[5] but having secured a teaching position decided to stay.
Another includes a likeness of the artist with Archbishop Duhig and Father Boniface, head of the Capuchin order that ran the centre, previously the Caledonian Buildings.
[8] In July 1954 he opened the Bissietta Art Gallery at the same location, with an exhibition that included works by Judy Cassab, Douglas Dundas, Donald Friend, Philippa Keane, Michael Kmit, Lloyd Rees, and Roland Wakelin.
[11] Other activities during his twenty years in Australia include: Bissietta returned to Italy in 1970 and taught art history at the University for Foreigners Perugia.
[14] They were living in Piacenza in 1954 when he opened the Bissietta Gallery, and hopes were expressed that they would join him shortly,[8] but there is no evidence available to indicate that this occurred, and Magda appears to have been a well-known citizen of Sant'Ilario d'Enza.