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Among the Italians, with Leonardo Bistolfi

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Now that it's less than ninety degrees outside, I am feeling that I can bear sitting at the computer and doing some intellectual and fun stuff. For instance, talking about Leonardo Bistolfi, another fantastic sculptor born in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont in 1859. In 1876 he enrolled in an art academy in Milan before delving into full-time sculpture.

Fallen
Thanks to Wikimedia for the pic!

Caduti is a beautiful and touching memorial. I like to think this woman is the guardian of the Fallen (literal translation), those who have gone before us, who have died protecting us. This is a war memorial at Casale Monferrato, and this woman foregoes two angels carved in stone beneath an archway. This figure can tell us so much from her gesture and expression, something different and meaningful for each of us. I see someone who is both frustrated and happy, someone who is seeking freedom and coming into happiness after sorrow. I love the hair and fabric on this piece. Gorgeous!

Cemetery Relief in Milan
Thanks to Arte Liberty for the pic!

This next piece is a relief from a cemetery in Milan. I don't know that it has an actual title, but it's such an interesting piece. You can read so much just from this rendering, knowing that there is a family, a man and wife, and that they are unified in death or over the death of a child, or both. The stars and clouds above them suggest a moment of serenity and peace.


Monument to Segantini
 
Monument to Segantini was finished in 1906 and now resides in the Galleria de Nazionale d'Arte Moderna in Rome. This is the type of subtle work that will have you staring and watching just to make sure you get every little detail. Did you notice the hair wrapped around her arm that looksl ike a hand? Or the fact that her hair just blends into the background as if she were coming out of the marble? If you look closely there are also galloping horses carved into the bottom. So much creation and symbolism here.
 
The Cross
La Croce, or The Cross, is an amazing multi-figure piece placed at the tomb of Senator Tito Orsini. The story behind this is quite fascinating; allow me to give you a quick explanation. To the right and left of the mother, two naked men, Work and Thought. Motherhood is cloaked and bears an infant in her arms, shielding it with her mantle and symbolic of protection. The Offspring are the two young children representative of grace in governance. The two figures embraced on the left are el Love, and the one crouched in front is Lovingly. Because Orsini was a jurist, these are the figures of humanity that justice protects. This is a longshot translation from Italian, so make of it what you will.
 

Death
Bistolfi's sculpture Death is a gorgeous carving in marble. I see so many things here, from an angel, to someone who has died, or someone who is mourning death. Instead of someone coming out of the rock, I see someone leaning back into it. As we have come from the earth, so shall we return.
 
Resurrection
The last sculpture I want to talk about is from the Staglieno Cemetery in Italy (by the way, I'm thinking of devoting a blog to that Cemetery alone). I'm not sure what to say about this except that I love it. There is so much here that is personal for me.
 
Resurrection, close up view
Here I see three angels raising a body from the dead. We're not talking zombies here, but an actual resurrection like that of Christ's. I love the subtleties here too, from the intimacy of the four figures to the appearance again of someone rising from the earth (out of stone). I think that Bistolfi firmly believed in the resurrection of beings, and this sculpture gives us a glimpse into his - and perhaps our own - soul.
 
Hopefully next time it won't be two months before I write again. I'd love to finish out this year on a good note. And look up some more of Bistolfi's works - there's said to be over 170 throughout Italy alone. Until next time, Ciao.
 


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