Beni Montresor
Beni Montresor was a versatile Italian artist, opera and film director, set designer, author and children's book illustrator. He won the 1965 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing May I Bring a Friend?. The Italian government knighted him in 1966 for his contributions to the arts.Career
Montresor was particularly known in the United States as a designer of sets, lighting and costumes for opera. He designed sets and costumes for the 1964 American premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's opera, The Last Savage at the Metropolitan Opera. He also designed the evocative and ephemeral scenery and lighting for the Washington Opera/New York City Opera revival of the Montemezzi opera The Love of Three Kings in 1981. He was the Artistic Director of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma in 1988-1989. He directed two films, Pilgrimage, starring Cliff De Young and , starring Lucia Bose. He was also a stage and film set designer with commissions from La Scala, Spoleto, the Glyndebourne Festival, the New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera for productions like La Gioconda, Esclarmonde, The Last Savage, The Daughter of the Regiment, L'Elisir d'Amore, Aida and The Magic Flute. Montresor worked with film directors Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini among others.Private life
Montresor had a longer term affair with the writer Anne Cumming in the 1950s whilst she was married and also had many other gay and straight affairs.
