Giuseppe Scapenelli

Giuseppe Scapinelli was born in Modena in 1911. Hailing from a noble Italian family, he graduated in architecture in 1941. In 1948, he left Italy for São Paulo and began working as an architect for Francesco Matarazzo, an Italo-Brazilian businessman who founded the São Paulo Art Museum in 1946 and its namesake Biennial five years later. Scapinelli rubbed shoulders with all the important figures in São Paulo and worked for the city’s most prominent families. In 1950, he established his own agency, promoting a modern style while still embracing the classical principles he had learned in Italy. An article in Casa & Jardim (Issue 10, 1954) described him as follows: “A classic that remembers to be modern – or, if you prefer, a modernist who doesn’t forget to be classic.” While his dynamic lines were influenced by the industrial aesthetics of the streamline, Giuseppe Scapinelli consistently delivered pieces of remarkable craftsmanship quality throughout his career, reflecting the values of fine craftsmanship.