Maria Monaci Gallenga (1880–1944) was an Italian textile designer and fashion designer."Maria Monaci Gallenga", Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, Retrieved 17 October 2014. Along with her husband, Gallenga invented a unique metallic, block printing technique for fabrics that gave her textiles a distinct hue.Camerlengo, Laura. "Gallenga", Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Retrieved 17 October 2014.
Early life Maria Monaci Gallenga was born in Rome in 1880. Born into a prominent family of academics, as a young girl she was fascinated with history and particularly in medieval and Renaissance Italian art history. In 1903 she married Peter Gallenga,"Maria Monaci Gallenga", Fashion Model Directory, Retrieved 17 October 2014. a professor at the University of Rome."Textile by Maria Gallenga", Metropolitan Museum of Art, Retrieved 17 October 2014.
Career Gallenga started designing and making textiles and clothing in 1914 out of a studio in Florence. She often exhibited her designs in art exhibitions. These designs combined a unique mixture of old world motifs, such as heavy velvet and medieval patterns, with more modern 1920s silhouettes. Gallenga also had a flair for theatricality and designed many cloaks and capes. In 1923, Gallenga was awarded a Silver Medal at the Monza design exhibition. In 1928, Gallenga co-founded the Boutique Italienne in Paris with the designers Bice Pittoni and Carla Visconti di Modrone.
In line with her passion for history, many of her textile pattern titles reference medieval and Renaissance history. For example, the "Mona Tessa" is a reference to the mother of Beatrice Portinari, the muse of Dante Alighieri."Woman's cape", Philadelphia Museum of Art, Retrieved 17 October 2014.
Death Gallenga died in 1944 in Italy.
Public collections Gallenga's work can be found in a number of public institutions, including:
Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco RISD Museum"Maria Monaci Gallenga", RISD Museum, Retrieved 17 October 2014. Philadelphia Museum of Art"Collections: Maria Monaci Gallenga", Philadelphia Museum of Art, Retrieved 17 October 2014. Victoria and Albert Museum"Gallenga, Maria Monaci", Victoria & Albert Museum, Retrieved 17 October 2014. Art Institute of Chicago"Collections: Maria Monaci Gallenga", Art Institute of Chicago, Retrieved 29 July 2026. Metropolitan Museum of Art"Maria Gallenga", Metropolitan Museum of Art, Retrieved 17 October 2014. Ulster MuseumCostume and Textiles, National Museums NI, Retrieved 26 October 2017.
References