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Among the Italians, with Giulio Monteverde

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The first time I saw a statue by Giulio Monteverde it stole my breath. As I watched my husband scroll through images of his sculpture on Google yesterday, I knew he was the next sculptor I was going to talk about. He was born in the very small province of Bistagno, Italy, and attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. He was also a senator, but I think that's the least of his achievements.

The Boy Columbus, from Wiki Commons
The first piece I want to talk about is The Boy Columbus. It's obvious at first glance that Monteverde has a way with subtlety and form that knows how to just ignite your interest and imagination. Columbus has been caught in a moment of formulation, as if he's staring at a point he can't really see because he's concentrating on something else entirely.

Thought
This next piece, called Il Pensiero which translates in English to Thought, is a striking and powerful multi-figure sculpture. An allegorical masterpiece with a glimpse at one of his angels, which he is famous for making, except that this particular angel is male. The design and flow of this piece draws you in and forces you to look at each figure, your eye traveling from one face to the next, trying to understand the message being communicated. Art is hard that way - I think it speaks differently to each of us. This statue may have a particular meaning to me, but mean something completely different to you, and we may both be right in our interpretation. We could really have some fun with this one. I just like it.
Angel of the Night, from Whispering Lion's Den
Angel of the Night. The title speaks for itself, and the simplicity and incredibly life-like and human nature of this carving revives once again the subtle tugging of our emotions. What is this angel looking at? She sits so naturally, just like any of us would sit, and stares at the stars, or maybe the moon. This expression gives us a more relaxed feeling, unlike my next focus.

The Angel from High Grade Discourse
Unsettling and invigorating, The Angel can pierce you with her gaze. She's protecting something, and she will look inside you until she understands who you are. Is that something you're willing to risk? To look at this guardian and let her judge you and your intents?

 
It's a rare sculptor who can make eyes look at you like that. it's always been tricky for artists to sculpt human eyes, but Monteverde intentionally did a fantastic job with this piece. In this close up view, I tend to think that the angel is even a little worried that she might slip and let some evil spirit past her. The gaze is still haunting, and incredible.


Isn't amazing how a different angel can give you an entirely new perspective? From this side, her gaze is more demanding, more protective. The gesture of her hand on her collarbone could be a stabilizing motion for herself, a movement that helps her gather her composure.

 
The Angel is Giulio Monteverde's most famous statue to date. If you look up his name, you will bring up numerous images for this statue alone. The Angel stands guard the Oneto tomb at the Staglieno Cemetery in Genoa, Italy. This amazing cemetery opens up an entirely new concourse of sculptures, many of them angels or monuments to the dead. If you have a moment, go look it up. There's some incredible stuff there.

Until next time, enjoy the art! May life never be the same again.
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