PORTRAIT OF AGNES
 
Original Charcoal on Paper Illustration

by

RAFAELLO BUSONI

  
Dimensions Framed: 20" wide x 25" deep.
 

The German-born U.S. artist and illustrator Rafaello Busoni wrote and illustrated several 

children's books and illustrated many more by other authors.  Busoni was born in Berlin, Germany, 

on Feb. 1, 1900 of a Swedish mother and an Italian father. He considered himself Italian by 

nationality. The first book he illustrated was an edition of the Bible in Berlin in 1922-23, 

"Song of Solomon." Rafaello Busoni came to the United States in 1939. 

This Charcoal on Paper portrait is of Agnes Berger, our great-grandmother and international dealer 

of valuable painting and oriental rugs. She was born and lived in Zurich, Switzerland and traveled 

extensively. Rafaello Busoni was actually her friend and neighbor in Switzerland. He was schooled 

there and in Germany and left school at 16 to pursue his art.  During World War I, he lived in 

Switzerland, which is where he created this illustration of Agnes on August 21, 1920. 

He and Agnes remained lifetime friends until he died on March 17, 1962.  

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