Renato Fratini

Renato Fratini (October 1932 in Rome – 1973 in Mexico)[1] was an Italian commercial artist who specialised in cinema posters and book covers.

[2] During his six-year stay in the studio, Fratini made many memorable illustrations for films such as Senso, Invaders from Mars, Sweet Smell of Success, and Beautiful but Dangerous, the last being notable for his portrait of Gina Lollobrigida.

Through agents he got commissions to paint covers for Sexton Blake, Famous Romance Library and Thriller, all from Fleetway Publications.

Other work included Whistle Down The Wind (1961), Phantom of the Opera (1962), This Sporting Life (1963), The Chalk Garden (1964), Hot Enough for June (1964), Maroc 7 (1966), Khartoum (1966).

[1] As a poster painter, the high point was in 1970 when Fratini was paid £2000 for his work on Waterloo from a design by Eric Pulford.

He often used the palette knife and the unpolished nature of his work was both atmospheric and popular with art directors who could use it without needing to spend more on finishing.

He was commissioned by Penguin art director Germano Facetti to prepare new covers for the paperback editions of Daphne du Maurier's novels.

The well-received covers combined paint and pencil to create distinctive tableaux of juxtaposed images with a rough unfinished tone.

[2] Covers for historical romance novels by Juliette Benzoni, Catherine Gaskin, Victoria Holt, Norah Lofts and others were a staple of his output and he produced many for Fontana, for whom he was a favourite artist.