Historically, the works of the best Italian comic book artists have received wide international recognition and have been translated extensively abroad. Starting from the last decade of the twentieth century and the early years of the new millennium, however, a new trend emerged, with Italian artists being invited to work on original content directly for the major American publishing houses such as Marvel and DC.
Among the artists symbolizing this evolution and the widespread appreciation for the Italian school of comics, the name of Gabriele Dell’Otto stands out, now recognized as one of the most important figures in the field worldwide. His first work for Marvel Comics was the artwork for the miniseries Secret War (2004), followed by lots of covers for major series published by the world’s leading companies (Marvel, DC, Image, Panini, etc.). At the same time, Dell’Otto has continued to produce prestigious works in Italy, from the historical calendar for the Carabinieri in 2002 and 2003, to the spectacular illustrations for Dante’s The Divine Comedy in the recent annotated edition published by Mondadori (2018–2021).
The exhibition set up at the Italian Cultural Institute of Miami is organized in collaboration with the Cart Gallery in Rome and curated by Luca Reinero and Luca Di Salvatore. On this unique occasion, visitors can admire over 60 original works — some displayed to the public for the very first time — tracing Dell’Otto’s publishing history from the beginning of his career to the present. Among them there are paintings created for iconic covers of series such as Batman, Superman, Daredevil, Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Star Wars, as well as Disney series (Uncle Scrooge and the Infinity Dime, Uncle Scrooge: The Earth’s Mightiest Duck) and many other remarkable works. For example, the exhibition includes pieces from his interpretation of The Wizard of Oz, one of the projects entirely created by Dell’Otto and acclaimed worldwide.
On the occasion of the opening on Wednesday, February 25, at 6:30 p.m., the Italian Cultural Institute in Miami will host the artist, who will meet with fans and visitors. The exhibition will remain open until April 24, with free admission.