Marcello Dudovich (1878 - 1962) was one of Italy’s leading advertising poster artists, and was also involved with the blossoming film industry. Dudovich broke artistic conventions by revamping the Art Nouveau movement, removing the excesses and creating a more modern, streamlined style. He produced lighthearted posters with dramatic images and bold colors for Ricordi, the opera publisher who created an in-house printing operation to promote its music. Dudovich was also the official poster artist for the renowned fashion department store, Mele, and had further success designing ads for Carpano, Fiat, Pirelli and Alpha Romeo.