Davide Calandra
Encyclopedia
Davide Calandra was an Italian
sculptor and cabinet maker
.
into a wealthy family. His father, besides his professional activities of lawyer and hidraulic engineer
, was an archaeologist
and a well known collector of ancient weapons.
Davide's eldest brother, the writer Edoardo Calandra, is the author of the novel La bufera, a famous example of historical fiction
.
After attending the Liceo Calandra followed the art lectures of the Accademia Albertina and then joined as a volunteer the cavalry
where he attained the military rank of Sottotenente
(Sub-Lieutenant
). In 1878 he worked with his father and his brother to an excavation of the Lombard
archaeological site of Testona (Moncalieri
).
Calandra began his sculptor activity in 1880, when he showed his work Penelope at the Turin's Esposizione di Belle Arti (fine arts exhibition). In 1902 he established with his fellow artists Leonardo Bistolfi
, Giorgio Ceragioli
, Enrico Reycend and Enrico Thovez L'arte decorativa moderna, a journal devoted to decorative arts. From 1912 he was appointed president of the Piedmont
ese Society of Archaeology and Fine Arts (Società Piemontese di Archeologia e Belle Arti). He died in Turin
in 1915.
statue in Parma
and an equestrian monument of Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, sponsored by the Turin
municipality and located in the park of Valentino.
Also from him is the monument to Umberto II of Italy
in Villa Borghese
(Rome
), completed after the sculptor's death. Calandra also realised in Buenos Aires
a large monument devoted to the Argentinian
politician and writer Bartolomé Mitre
.
His vast artistic production also includes some Italian coins made between 1908 and 1916 during the rule of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
.
The municipal museum Antonino Olmo of Savigliano
houses the Gipsoteca Davide Calandra which shows several of his plasterwork
s.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
sculptor and cabinet maker
Cabinet making
Cabinet making is the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture.Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools such as routers to create decorative...
.
Biography
Davide Calandra was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
into a wealthy family. His father, besides his professional activities of lawyer and hidraulic engineer
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
, was an archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and a well known collector of ancient weapons.
Davide's eldest brother, the writer Edoardo Calandra, is the author of the novel La bufera, a famous example of historical fiction
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
.
After attending the Liceo Calandra followed the art lectures of the Accademia Albertina and then joined as a volunteer the cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
where he attained the military rank of Sottotenente
Italian Army Ranks
This chart represents the Italian Army rank insignia used on the slip-on of winter service uniforms. The color of the uniforms is khaki.Officers who are assigned to a position acting in a higher rank than their own wear the insignia of the higher rank but the highest star of the insignia is trimmed...
(Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
). In 1878 he worked with his father and his brother to an excavation of the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
archaeological site of Testona (Moncalieri
Moncalieri
Moncalieri is a town and comune of approximately 58,000 inhabitants about eight kilometers directly south of downtown Turin , in Piedmont, Italy. It is notable for its castle, built in the 12th century and enlarged in the 15th century, which later became the favorite residence of Maria Clotilde...
).
Calandra began his sculptor activity in 1880, when he showed his work Penelope at the Turin's Esposizione di Belle Arti (fine arts exhibition). In 1902 he established with his fellow artists Leonardo Bistolfi
Leonardo Bistolfi
Leonardo Bistolfi was an Italian sculptor, an important exponent of Italian Symbolism.Bistolfi was born in Casale Monferrato in Piedmont, north-west Italy, to Giovanni Bistolfi, a sculptor in wood, and to Angela Amisano....
, Giorgio Ceragioli
Giorgio Ceragioli (sculptor)
Giorgio Ceragioli was an Italian painter and sculptor.-Biography:Ceragioli was born in Porto Santo Stefano on April the 21st 1861 from Giuseppe Ceragioli, a customs officer, and Fanny Bracci...
, Enrico Reycend and Enrico Thovez L'arte decorativa moderna, a journal devoted to decorative arts. From 1912 he was appointed president of the Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
ese Society of Archaeology and Fine Arts (Società Piemontese di Archeologia e Belle Arti). He died in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in 1915.
Selected artworks
His sculptures include a Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
statue in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
and an equestrian monument of Prince Luigi Amedeo, Duke of the Abruzzi, sponsored by the Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
municipality and located in the park of Valentino.
Also from him is the monument to Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II of Italy
Umberto II, occasionally anglicized as Humbert II was the last King of Italy for slightly over a month, from 9 May 1946 to 12 June 1946. He was nicknamed the King of May -Biography:...
in Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese
Villa Borghese may refer to:*The Villa Borghese Pinciana , the villa built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio , developing sketches by Scipione Borghese, who used it as a villa suburbana, a party villa, at the edge of Rome, and to house his art collection.**The Galleria...
(Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
), completed after the sculptor's death. Calandra also realised in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
a large monument devoted to the Argentinian
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
politician and writer Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
.
His vast artistic production also includes some Italian coins made between 1908 and 1916 during the rule of Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...
.
The municipal museum Antonino Olmo of Savigliano
Savigliano
Savigliano is a comune of Piedmont, northern Italy, in the Province of Cuneo, c. 50 kilometers south of Turin by rail....
houses the Gipsoteca Davide Calandra which shows several of his plasterwork
Plasterwork
Plasterwork refers to construction or ornamentation done with plaster, such as a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster decorative moldings on ceilings or walls. This is also sometimes called pargeting...
s.