(Modena, 1871; Bologna, 1954)
Tirelli was a caricaturist, sculptor and drawer. During his career he illustrated several satirical magazines like: L’e’ un pistillo, La Secchia and Il Cotone Fulminante. He was anxious to create a real newspaper and in 1900, together with his friend Angelo Fortunato Formiggina, he founded Ducal Borso. It was a weekly satirical magazine and he worked on it until he moved to Bologna. In addition to his illustration work, he made several terra cotta and plaster cast full-body statues and busts. They depict famous personalities of the time and he created I Protagonisti – a collection of twelve caricature masks representing the sovereigns of The Great War. They were presented at the International Caricature Competition in London in 1918 where they won first prize. In 1923 Tirelli set up a theatre company of puppets called Teatro Nazionale delle Teste di Legno which put on a number of shows written and directed entirely by Tirelli.
Federica Marrubini