Arrigo Minerbi
Encyclopedia
Arrigo Minerbi was an Italian sculptor.
in 1881, he took a course in arts and crafts before working as a ceramicist, designer, teacher and stucco-artist in Florence
, Ferrara and Genoa
(in this period he produced a gigantic "Neptune" in iron and cement in 1910 at Monterosso al Mare, and other fountains in Genoa).
Aged 35 he moved to Milan
where, in 1919, he put on an exhibition of his work to the critics and the public in the Galleria Pesaro. That exhibition also toured successfully to the 1920 Regionale di Ferrara, back to Milan in 1922 before going to the Primaverile Fiorentina that year, and finally being invited to the Venice Biennale
, where he exhibited his silver group "Last Supper" (now in Oslo Cathedral
). On 14 June 1925, in the Parco delle Rimembranze at Bondeno
, he unveiled his "La Madre" as a monument to the dead of the First World War, for which he was later made an honorary citizen of Bondeno, though this was revoked by the promulgation of the Fascist race laws and only re-conferred in 2004.
Minerbi was the favourite artist of Gabriele D'Annunzio
, for whom he produced "Luisa", a portrait of D'Annunzio's mother (as well as the tomb in the Chiesa di San Cetteo at Pescara
, now Pescara Cathedral
) and the bust of Eleonora Duse
: both these portrait busts were exhibited at the Vittoriale degli Italiani
of Gardone Riviera
. In 1937 he was commissioned to produce the first (from the left) of five bronze doors for Milan Cathedral (on the theme of The Edict of Constantine), but he was subsequently forced into hiding at Gavazzana
by racial persecution and only completed the doors in 1948.
Life
Born to a Jewish family in FerraraFerrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
in 1881, he took a course in arts and crafts before working as a ceramicist, designer, teacher and stucco-artist in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Ferrara and Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
(in this period he produced a gigantic "Neptune" in iron and cement in 1910 at Monterosso al Mare, and other fountains in Genoa).
Aged 35 he moved to Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
where, in 1919, he put on an exhibition of his work to the critics and the public in the Galleria Pesaro. That exhibition also toured successfully to the 1920 Regionale di Ferrara, back to Milan in 1922 before going to the Primaverile Fiorentina that year, and finally being invited to the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, where he exhibited his silver group "Last Supper" (now in Oslo Cathedral
Oslo Cathedral
Oslo Cathedral — formerly Our Savior's Church — is the main church for the Oslo bishopric of the Church of Norway, as well as the parish church for downtown Oslo. The present building dates from 1694-1697....
). On 14 June 1925, in the Parco delle Rimembranze at Bondeno
Bondeno
Bondeno is a comune in the Province of Ferrara in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 45 km north of Bologna and about 15 km northwest of Ferrara....
, he unveiled his "La Madre" as a monument to the dead of the First World War, for which he was later made an honorary citizen of Bondeno, though this was revoked by the promulgation of the Fascist race laws and only re-conferred in 2004.
Minerbi was the favourite artist of Gabriele D'Annunzio
Gabriele D'Annunzio
Gabriele D'Annunzio or d'Annunzio was an Italian poet, journalist, novelist, and dramatist...
, for whom he produced "Luisa", a portrait of D'Annunzio's mother (as well as the tomb in the Chiesa di San Cetteo at Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, now Pescara Cathedral
Pescara Cathedral
Pescara Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Via D'Annunzio in the city of Pescara. The cathedral, dedicated to Saint Cetteus, patron saint of Pescara, has been the seat of the Archbishop of Pescara-Penne since the creation of the archdiocese in 1982...
) and the bust of Eleonora Duse
Eleonora Duse
-Life and career:Duse was born in Vigevano, Lombardy, and began acting as a child. Both her father and her grandfather were actors, and she joined the troupe at age four. Due to poverty, she initially worked continually, traveling from city to city with whichever troupe her family was currently...
: both these portrait busts were exhibited at the Vittoriale degli Italiani
Vittoriale degli italiani
The Vittoriale degli italiani is a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera overlooking the Garda lake in Lombardy, Italy. It is where the Italian writer Gabriele d'Annunzio lived after his defenestration in 1922 until his death in 1938...
of Gardone Riviera
Gardone Riviera
Gardone Riviera is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.-Main sights:* The Vittoriale degli Italiani is a former residence of the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio. He donated it to the Italian State before his death...
. In 1937 he was commissioned to produce the first (from the left) of five bronze doors for Milan Cathedral (on the theme of The Edict of Constantine), but he was subsequently forced into hiding at Gavazzana
Gavazzana
Gavazzana is a comune in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 100 km southeast of Turin and about 25 km southeast of Alessandria. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 129 and an area of 3.1 km².Gavazzana borders the following...
by racial persecution and only completed the doors in 1948.
Works
- Self-portrait (1914, bronze, ; marble, Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Ferrara);
- The Martyr (bust of Cesare Battisti, 1917, Castello del Buon Consiglio in TrentoTrentoTrento is an Italian city located in the Adige River valley in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. It is the capital of Trentino...
); - The Victory of the Piave (1920, three bronze exemplars: Tempio della Vittoria in Ferrara; Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera; CuggionoCuggionoCuggiono is a small Italian town and comune in the province of Milan, 50 km west of Milan on the Motorway A4 to Turin, gate of Marcallo-Mesero.The Italian singer and composer Angelo Branduardi was born there....
); - Monument to Italian Doctors Fallen in War (1924, Chiostro della Sanità Militare in Florence);
- Mattino di Primavera (1929, Galleria d'Arte Moderna in Rome);
- Saint Francis preaching to the birds (1929, Tomba Cusini, Cimitero Monumentale in Milan);
- The Last Supper (1930, silver group, Oslo Cathedral),
- Luisa (bust of Gabriele D'Annunzio's mother, Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera);
- Eleonora Duse (bust, Vittoriale degli Italiani in Gardone Riviera);
- Tomb of Luisa D'Annunzio (1939, Pescara Cathedral);
- L'Assunta (1940, Chiesa delle Grazie, Milan);
- La Porta dell'editto di Costantino (1948, Milan Cathedral),
- Don Orione morente (1952, Rome),
- Madonna Salus Populi Romani (1953, Rome – Monte MarioMonte Mario-External links :* * *...
) - ungilded copy of the Madonna Salus Populi Romani (1954, East Boston – Don Orione Shrine)