The frescoes created by Chini in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.

A month-long exhibition opens on the Italian who painted vast frescoes for King Chulalongkorn

Central Chidlom is offering free trips in a time machine all this month, back nearly 100 years to the days of Italian artist Galileo Chini.

The name isn't well known, but his work is in the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall.

The exhibition "A Century of Art Heritage by Galileo Chini" presents some 200 works, including his old photographs, architectural blueprints, sketches, paintings and ceramics.

Chini (1873-1956) was the art-nouveau master commissioned by King Rama V to create frescoes on the vaults of the throne hall between 1911 and 1913. During his stay in Thailand he worked on palaces and other royal buildings then under construction, and painted portraits of the royal family, local life and landscapes.

King Rama V encountered the Florentine artist's work at the 1907 Venice Biennial.

The fresco that Chini had

done for the main exhibition building earned him a contract to work in Siam for 30 months, and he arrived in time to

witness King Rama VI's

coronation in December 1911.

"Unlike other artists of his time, Chini didn't restrict himself to a specific form of art but was open to a variety, resulting in a prolific output, including backdrops for the opera," says Neungruedee Lohapon of Chulalongkorn University's Italian-language department.

Siam in turn influenced Chini with its motifs and bright colours. He soon abandoned sombre tones in favour of vibrant hues and glittering images of Siamese dancers, riverside houses and the Chinese New Year festival.