Augusto Lorenzini Archive Catalogued by Museums of History NSW
Museums of History NSW has completed a six-month cataloguing project of the Augusto Lorenzini Archive, making the 19th-century collection fully accessible online.
The Artist and Archive

Born in Rome in 1852, Augusto Leopoldo Francesco Lorenzini worked in Paris and London before relocating to Sydney with his wife Maria in 1883. The archive contains drawings, reference books, photographs, and over 70 full-scale painted decoration cartoons.
Material in the collection traces his European background, including 1875 tracings of frescoes by Federico and Taddeo Zuccaro at Rome's Palazzo Caetani, and a watercolour copy of Michelangelo's prophet Jeremiah.
Notable Works in Sydney

Upon arriving during a period of economic and architectural growth, Lorenzini established himself as an Italian artist-decorator. Key projects documented in the archive include:
Chatsworth: The demolished Potts Point mansion of Charles James Roberts. Lorenzini decorated the entrance hall and ballroom starting in 1884, with designs depicting the wedding of Amphitrite and Poseidon, alongside seasonal allegorical figures. Charles Bayliss photographed the completed interior.
Roberts Hotel: Commissioned by Charles Roberts, Lorenzini decorated the walls and ceilings between 1886 and 1888 at the corner of Pitt and Market streets.
The collection also preserves records of Lorenzini's work across cafes, hotels, theatres, churches, private houses, and public projects throughout the 1880s and 1890s, highlighting his collaborative practice with assistants and apprentices.

