Adolf Hohenstein (1854-1928) was a cosmopolitan artist, born in Tsarist Russia, in St. Petersburg, to German parents, and trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, before moving to Milan in 1879, a city to which he remained attached for his entire life. A leading exponent of Art Nouveau , Adolf Hohenstein was a painter, designer, publicist, illustrator, set designer, and costume designer. In the theater, he developed close ties with Giacomo Puccini, creating sketches, costume designs, and props for operas such as Le Villi, Edgar, Manon Lescaut, and Tosca. In 1889, he began collaborating with Giulio Ricordi, soon after becoming the first artistic director of Casa Ricordi, responsible for both the graphic design and theater departments. He designed sets and costumes for Falstaff and most of Puccini's operas. He also created advertising posters for La Bohème, Tosca, Campari, Buitoni, and the Corriere della Sera , as well as postcards and covers for scores and librettos. Among his students were Leopoldo Metlicovitz and Marcello Dudovich, both of whom worked for Casa Ricordi.