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Carlo Pellegrini - Politicians – ‘Ex-official’. Sir Matthew White Ridley. 23 July 1881

Politicians – ‘Ex-official’. Sir Matthew White Ridley. 23 July 1881 (1881)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
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License: All public domain files can be freely used for personal and commercial projects.
Why is this image in the public domain?
The Artist died in 1889 so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries where the copyright term is the Artist's life plus 70 years or fewer.
Carlo Pellegrini

Carlo Pellegrini, who did much of his work under the pseudonym of Ape, was an artist who served from 1869 to 1889 as a caricaturist for Vanity Fair magazine, a leading journal of London society. He was born in Capua, then in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. His father came from an ancient land-owning family, while his mother was allegedly descended from the Medici. His work for the magazine made his reputation and he became its most influential artist.

Pellegrini was educated at the Collegio dei Barnabiti, and then at Sant'Antonio in Maddaloni, near Naples. As a young man he caricatured Neapolitan society, modelling his portraits on those of Melchiorre Delfico and Daumier and other French and British artists of the period. Pellegrini claimed to have fought with Garibaldi; however, those who knew him well dismissed this as fantasy.

Deciding to leave Italy in 1864 after a series of personal crises, including the death of his sister, he travelled to England via Switzerland and France. He arrived in London in November 1864; he later claimed to have arrived destitute, and to have slept on the streets and in doorways. However, this claim may have been another fantasy designed to make him seem to be a Bohemian artist. In London he became a friend of the Prince of Wales.

It is not recorded how Pellegrini met Thomas Bowles, the owner of Vanity Fair magazine, but he quickly found himself employed by that publication and became its first caricaturist, originally signing his work as 'Singe' (French for "Monkey") and later, and more famously, as 'Ape' (a translation of "Singe" into English). Pellegrini's work for the magazine made his reputation and he became its most influential artist; it printed his caricatures for over twenty years, from January 1869 to April 1889. His 1869 caricature of Benjamin Disraeli was the first colour lithograph to appear in the magazine, and proved immensely popular. It was the first of a highly successful series of more than two thousand caricatures published by Vanity Fair. Although the later caricatures by Sir Leslie Ward are perhaps now more well known, those by 'Ape' are regarded by many collectors as being artistically and technically superior.

Apart from drawing his caricatures for the magazine, Pellegrini also attempted to set himself up as a portrait painter, but this venture met with limited success. Pellegrini met Degas in London in the 1870s, and in about 1876–77 painted his portrait, inscribed 'à vous/Pellegrini' (to you/Pellegrini). In return, Degas painted Pellegrini's portrait, similarly inscribed.

Pellegrini was a member of the Beefsteak Club in London and there met Whistler, who became a great influence on his work; indeed, he even attempted to paint portraits in the style of Whistler. Pellegrini was also a member of The Arts Club from 1874 until 1888.

Pellegrini was extremely careful about his appearance, and would wear immaculate white spats with highly polished boots. He grew long Mandarin-like fingernails, would never walk when he could ride, and had a limitless fund of amusing stories and eccentricities. He spoke broken-English, flaunted his homosexuality (at a time when it was dangerous to do so), and would often bring macaroni dishes to elegant dinner parties. He would refuse invitations to country houses out of fear of strange beds, and had a habit of keeping a cigar in his mouth as he slept.

He died of lung disease aged 49 at his home, 53 Mortimer Street, near Cavendish Square in London. He is buried in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Kensal Green, London.

In Collection: Vanity Fair caricatures (View all 1077)

Politicians – ‘a loyal Irishman’. Lord Headley. April 3, 1888

Politicians – ‘a loyal Irishman’. Lord Headley. April 3, 1888 (1888)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
Politicians – ‘If he is not an advanced liberal, it is for want of advancing himself’. Rt. Hon. W.E. Forster. March 6, 1869

Politicians – ‘If he is not an advanced liberal, it is for want of advancing himself’. Rt. Hon. W.E. Forster. March 6, 1869 (1869)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
Politicians; ‘Bombay’, The Right Hon. Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, May 2, 1874

Politicians; ‘Bombay’, The Right Hon. Sir William Robert Seymour Vesey Fitzgerald, May 2, 1874 (1874)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
Turf Devotees; ‘The Match-Book’, Mr. Edward Weatherby, October 17, 1901

Turf Devotees; ‘The Match-Book’, Mr. Edward Weatherby, October 17, 1901 (1901)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Tess, Thomas Hardy

Tess, Thomas Hardy (1892)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Politicians; ‘The Past’, The Right Hon. William Patrick Adam, June 27, 1874

Politicians; ‘The Past’, The Right Hon. William Patrick Adam, June 27, 1874 (1874)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
Politicians – ‘The Colonies’. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain. March 7, 1901

Politicians – ‘The Colonies’. Mr. Joseph Chamberlain. March 7, 1901 (1901)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Politicians; ‘A Successful First Speech; Moab is my Washpot’, Mr. F. E. Smith, January 16, 1907

Politicians; ‘A Successful First Speech; Moab is my Washpot’, Mr. F. E. Smith, January 16, 1907 (1907)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Jockeys of the Victorian and Edwardian Turf executed by Spy and others for the ‘Vanity Fair’ Series

Jockeys of the Victorian and Edwardian Turf executed by Spy and others for the ‘Vanity Fair’ Series

Vincent Robert Alfred Brooks (English, 1815–1885)
Vanity Fair: Ladies; ‘H.I.M. the Empress of Austria’, Elizabeth Amalie Eugenie, April 5, 1884

Vanity Fair: Ladies; ‘H.I.M. the Empress of Austria’, Elizabeth Amalie Eugenie, April 5, 1884 (1884)

Constantine von de Grimm
Chancellors of Exchequer. ‘A scagliola apollo’ Beach. 22 August 1874

Chancellors of Exchequer. ‘A scagliola apollo’ Beach. 22 August 1874 (1874)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
Theatre; ‘The Modern Wiertz’, M. Jan Van Beers, September 12, 1891

Theatre; ‘The Modern Wiertz’, M. Jan Van Beers, September 12, 1891 (1891)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Clergy. ‘A Bishop of Decision’. Rev. Cosmo Gordon Lang. 19 April 1906

Clergy. ‘A Bishop of Decision’. Rev. Cosmo Gordon Lang. 19 April 1906 (1906)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Politicians – ‘and Stratheden’. Lord Campbell and Stratheden. October 4, 1873

Politicians – ‘and Stratheden’. Lord Campbell and Stratheden. October 4, 1873 (1873)

Leslie Matthew Ward (English, 1851-1922)
Explorers and Inventors. ‘The Director’. Lord William Hay. 12 December 1874

Explorers and Inventors. ‘The Director’. Lord William Hay. 12 December 1874 (1874)

Carlo Pellegrini (Italian, 1839-1889)
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