The Casella Sisters Explained

Ella Casella
Birth Name:	Bertha Gabriella Casella
Birth Date:	3 January 1858
Birth Place:	London
Death Date:	3 September 1946
Death Place:	London
Alma Mater:	Slade School of Art

Nelia Casella
Birth Name:	Louisa Cornelia Casella
Birth Date:	23 July 1859
Birth Place:	London
Death Date:	29 April 1950
Death Place:	London
Alma Mater:	Slade School of Art

Ella and Nelia Casella (1858-1946 and 1859-1950) were British artists, sculptors, and medalists, known for their collaborative work. Both sisters worked frequently in wax, creating portraits which are now held by the Victoria and Albert Museum. They worked together on a variety of illustrations and medal commissions.^{[1] [2]}

Career

Ella (3 January 1858 – 3 September 1946) and Nelia Casella (23 July 1859 – 29 April 1950) studied at the Slade School of Art under the tutelage of Alphonse Legros.^[3]

Commissions to the sisters were usually answered in correspondence by 'Miss Casella' and so it is difficult to know which sister was the correspondent.^[4]

Jackson-Gwilt Medal

In 1895, the Casella sisters were commissioned by the Royal Astronomical Society to create the medal for the Jackson-Gwilt Prize in Astronomy.

Artwork

Ella Casella

• Relief of St. George and the Dragon, 1897, Victoria and Albert Museum^[5]
• Woman in Renaissance Costume, 1890-1900, Victoria and Albert Museum^[6]
• Stained holly wood box, 1900, Victoria and Albert Museum^[7]
• Euterpe, 1901^[8]

Nelia Casella

• Gilt and enamel bottle, 1892, Victoria and Albert Museum^[9]
• Man in Renaissance Costume, 1899, Victoria and Albert Museum^[10]
• Illustrations to Percy Pitt's score for Cinderella, 1900^[11]
• Boy Holding a Rose, 1903, Victoria and Albert Museum^[12]
• Carnations, 1907, Victoria and Albert Museum^[13]
• Silvia Bella, 1908, Victoria and Albert Museum^[14]
• Dante^{[15] [16]}

Joint work by the Casella sisters

• Illustrations for 'Dreams, Dances and Disappointments' (1881) and 'The Maypole' (1882) by Gertrude A. Konstam^[17]
• The Charcot Medal, late 19th Century, examples in: Victoria and Albert Museum,^[18] British Museum^[19]
• The Jackson-Gwilt Medal, 1897
• Italian Renaissance Lady and Gentleman^[20]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Miss Ella Casella - Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951. sculpture.gla.ac.uk. 2018-10-24.
2. Web site: Miss Nelia Casella - Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951. sculpture.gla.ac.uk. 2018-10-24.
3. Attwood. Philip. 1986. The Slade Girls. The British Numismatic Journal. 56. 148–177. British Numismatic Society.
4. Vandenbrouck. Melanie. Spring 2017. Whatever shines should be observed: Astronomical prize medals. The Medal. 70.
5. Web site: Relief Casella, Ella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. 5 August 1897 . en. 2018-10-24.
6. Web site: Woman in Renaissance Costume Casella, Ella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
7. Web site: Box Casella, Ella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
8. Web site: Euterpe by Ella Casella (1858-1950). www.victorianweb.org. 2018-10-24.
9. Web site: Bottle Casella, Nelia Louise Cornelia Casella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. 5 August 1892 . en. 2018-10-24.
10. Web site: Man in Renaissance Costume Casella, Nelia Louise Cornelia Casella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. 5 August 1899 . en. 2018-10-24.
11. News: Nelia Casella. 2010-03-11. Sibley Digital Scores. 2018-10-24. en-US.
12. Web site: Boy holding a rose Casella, Nelia Louise Cornelia Casella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
13. Web site: Carnations Casella, Nelia Louise Cornelia Casella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
14. Web site: Silvia Bella Casella, Nelia Louise Cornelia Casella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
15. Web site: Nelia Casella, Wax Portrait of Dante. www.cowanauctions.com. en. 2018-10-24.
16. Toynbee. Paget. 1919. Dante in English Art: A Chronological Record of Representations by English Artists. Annual Reports of the Dante Society. 38. 1–112. 40165899.
17. Web site: Illustrated works published by Thos, de la Rue, London. 24 October 2018.
18. Web site: Medal Casella, Ella V&A Search the Collections. collections.vam.ac.uk. en. 2018-10-24.
19. Web site: medal. British Museum. en-GB. 2018-10-24.
20. Web site: A rare pair of painted wax relief portrait busts attributed to the casella sisters Woolley and Wallis. www.woolleyandwallis.co.uk. 2018-10-24.