Biography
Maria De Matteis (1898–1988) was an Italian costume designer who worked in film, theatre and television. Born in Florence, she began her career in the 1930s as an assistant before establishing herself as a lead designer from 1939 onwards. She frequently collaborated with directors including Luchino Visconti, Mario Soldati and Orson Welles.
Her credits include Ossessione (1943), Othello (1951), The Golden Coach (1952), War and Peace (1956), Barabbas (1961), The Bible: In the Beginning... (1966) and Waterloo (1970). She received a BAFTA Award for Waterloo and an Academy Award nomination for War and Peace, and was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for the 1985 television series Christopher Columbus.
