Sandro Vacchetti’s ladies

Sandro Vacchetti (1889-1976) was raised in a family of artists, in which the father, Giuseppe, was the master instilling endless love for music and painting in his apprentices, Sandro and his seven brothers and sisters.

The talented Sandro absorbed the inspiration he could glean from life in his small hometown of Carrù, Piedmont; later, his memories would be crucial in the very first works he created in Turin, when he started attending the Accademia Albertina at the young age of twelve.

As a painter, Vacchetti’s career began in the Piedmontese capital and then continued in the United States: between Boston and New York, he developed and perfected his signature technique in female portraiture and fine ceramics. He created small female figurines that were very dear to a few American movie stars.

In 1919, back in Turin, he had the chance to meet Enrico Scavini, owner of the famous doll company Lenci, and his wife, Elena König. Vacchetti was Lenci’s artistic director from 1922 to 1934, then founded his own ceramics company, Essevi (mimicking the sound of his initials in Italian), which he led until 1952.

Here are some of his wonderful ceramic ladies.