There is very little known, historically, about artist Manuel Orazi, other than the fact that he was an Italian born lithographer known for his works in newspapers, book covers, opera posters, and the covers of sheet music in France between 1883 and 1884. Most notably, however, in 1895, he collaborated with author Austin De Croze in creating the grotesquely aesthetic occult calendar entitled Calendrier Magique; an art nouveau calendar of black magic. With Orazi’s typical work showcasing elegant young women in dainty attire, creating this piece was a bit unexpected. According to Cornell University, it is “a rare piece of occultist ephemera, printed in an edition of 777 copies to commemorate magic for the coming year of 1896. Each double page spread mimics the Christian calendar in some respect (name days, iconography). The document is at once a spoof and an attempt to chart the year of magic. Its surviving interest resides in the extravagant and compelling illustrations, especially the full-page right hand plates, by Manuel Orazi.”
- l’art nouveau; 22 rue de Provence. rooster, pentagram, star of David, seal with Aztec face
- palm print
- This red text page is also the colophon / naked hag with book open in lap, sitting on stool, within circle set with candles; gold flames; pentagram, star of David.
- owl carrying keys; bat carrying seal
- diagram of solar system; listing of dates for days of the week; chant / naked women at Sabbat; satan as winged anthropomorphous goat
- sun with cloud interior indicating cardinal directions; charts; spells / bearded man holding up open book; death gazing down; naked woman in foreground
- chart of days of week; pentagram with broken circle; le maudit blaspheme / dark angel, naked; moon and skyline
- star of David; medieval frieze: procession of priests and nobility; tarot card The World / skeleton of king in coffin; single candle; crowns, sword, staffs, orb
- tree; chalises; frog; bird; love potion / exhibitionist bat-winged woman; necromancer gazing, gesturing into glowing cauldron, with familiar strutting on his head
- poem; frog / naked woman in arms of dark man; feminine demons coming from smoke of extinguished candle; creatures of the night
- laboratory instruments; poem / Alchimist lying on floor of his laboratory, black cat at his feet
- chalice on table with legs, ears / woman lying prone on table with chalice on back; men in dark robes around her; satan as goat
- charts; poem / demon rolling past moon; procession of dark-robed people into cemetary; abracadabra
- charts, bound demon / entranced naked woman crouched down looking upon embers of crosses burning within a circle, a demon is just visible in the smoke
- calendar chart; spell / naked old man sitting, creating voodoo doll; bird-like demon silhouetted by moon; hand gripping sword; row of dolls; heart pierced by nails, knife
- poem ‘le Héraut’; calendar chart; star diagram with suns at points, labeled: l’être est, réalité, justice, raison, vérité / man in ecclesiastical garb, bearing flag with crosses, holds forth an opened message with broken seal; figures tied to stakes and village rooftops in background
- chart or various good end evil spirits; chart of planetary influences upon hours of the days of the week; lions; owl; snake; bird food / chart of the good and bad spirits/influences that can be magically used on the different days of the week
It is amazing to view these pieces, not only for their rarity, but for the great curiosity they hold for such a lack of information on the occult-driven creators, symbolism behind the artwork, and inspiration for creating it. Being that this body of work is quite different from his commercial publications, it is very intriguing to wonder why Manuel Orazi created it and who he truly was as an artist. Perhaps the best artwork is that which leaves most to the imagination.
Photos by R. W. Hughs; Caption notes by The Fantastic in Art & Fiction collection from Cornell University.
Joe
August 8, 2011 at 9:38 pm
I always love coming upon images that provide some inspiration. That Cornell Collection is a treasure trove. Thanks for this.
perrin
August 7, 2011 at 2:26 am
Truly amazing !
rachael
August 6, 2011 at 7:09 am
i love your posts!
Amy
August 7, 2011 at 3:57 am
Thanks! 😀 Thank you so much for reading them!