ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Ottorino Mancioli: The Doctor Who Drew Sport

artist · 2026-04-27

Ottorino Mancioli (1908, Rome – 1990, Jesi) was a notable physician and artist celebrated for his famous Italian rugby poster from the early 1930s. He earned his medical degree from La Sapienza in 1932 but maintained his passion for drawing, cultivating a rational artistic style. His creations captured the essence of sports and beach fashion during the Fascist period. Mancioli showcased his work at the Olympic Competition in Los Angeles (1932), the I Mostra Nazionale d’Arte sportiva in Rome (1936), and the II Mostra Nazionale d’Arte ispirata allo Sport (1940). He served as a medical officer for the Folgore paratroopers during WWII and later specialized in sports medicine, held solo exhibitions, published "Giuochi Sportivi" (1976), crafted sculptures, and painted a mural at the Tennis Club Parioli in Rome.

Key facts

  • Ottorino Mancioli created the most famous poster for Italian rugby in the early 1930s.
  • He was a physician and artist, born in Rome in 1908 and died in Jesi in 1990.
  • He graduated in medicine from La Sapienza in 1932.
  • His work documented sports and beach fashion of the Fascist era.
  • He exhibited at the Olympic Competition and Exhibition of Art in Los Angeles (1932), I Mostra Nazionale d’Arte sportiva in Rome (1936), and II Mostra Nazionale d’Arte ispirata allo Sport in Rome (1940).
  • He served as a medical officer for the Folgore paratroopers in WWII and was friends with Gianni Brera.
  • He published the monograph 'Giuochi Sportivi' in 1976.
  • He created a large mural at the Tennis Club Parioli in Rome.

Entities

Artists

  • Ottorino Mancioli
  • Gianni Brera
  • Libero de Libero
  • Enrico Crispolti

Institutions

  • Università La Sapienza
  • Museum of History, Science and Art of Los Angeles
  • Palazzo delle Esposizioni
  • Mercati Traianei
  • Folgore
  • Hotel Brufani
  • Panathlon Club
  • Tennis Club Parioli

Locations

  • Rome
  • Italy
  • Jesi
  • Los Angeles
  • United States
  • Perugia
  • Ancona
  • Viterbo

Sources