Enrique Alciati
Encyclopedia
Enrique Alciati was a French
/Italian
sculptor and teacher, born in Marseille
, France
, who contributed various sculptures in France
and Mexico
. His most notable artwork is the Winged Victory
that crowns the Independence Column
in downtown Mexico City
.
He began his career in Marseille as a sculptor following the French
school. In 1886 he received an honorable mention for his works in the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited regularly until 1913. In all his works Alciati adhered to the classical tradition, while the influence of Rodin
is also quite prominent.
It is thought he moved to Mexico City
in 1889, where he quickly won critical acclaim for his marble
and bronze
busts of Mexican personalities. In 1891 he was commissioned by the Mexican government to create statues of national heroes for Paseo de la Reforma
, in Mexico City. Of special mention is the statue of Colonel
Miguel López
, for which Alciati won prizes at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
and the 1895 World's Fair
in Atlanta.
Alciati was appointed professor of sculpture, decoration and modelling at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1895. At the beginning of the 20th century he was commissioned by then President
Porfirio Díaz
to create most of the sculptures for the Independence Column in Mexico City under the direction of Antonio Rivas Mercado
. While he made the marble
s in Mexico and Florence
, he cast the bronze
s exclusively in the Italian city.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
/Italian
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 teacher, born in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, who contributed various sculptures in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. His most notable artwork is the Winged Victory
Winged Victory of Samothrace
The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called the Nike of Samothrace, is a 2nd century BC marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike . Since 1884, it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre and is one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world.-Description:The Nike of Samothrace,...
that crowns the Independence Column
El Ángel
El Ángel de la Independencia , most commonly known by theshortened name El Ángel and officially known as Columna de la Independencia, is a victory column located on a roundabout over Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City.El Ángel was built to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of...
in downtown Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
He began his career in Marseille as a sculptor following the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
school. In 1886 he received an honorable mention for his works in the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited regularly until 1913. In all his works Alciati adhered to the classical tradition, while the influence of Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
is also quite prominent.
It is thought he moved to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1889, where he quickly won critical acclaim for his marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
busts of Mexican personalities. In 1891 he was commissioned by the Mexican government to create statues of national heroes for Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma
Paseo de la Reforma is a wide avenue that runs in a straight line, cutting diagonally across Mexico City. It was designed by Ferdinand von Rosenzweig in the 1860s and modeled after the great boulevards of Europe, such as Vienna's Ringstrasse or the Champs-Élysées in Paris...
, in Mexico City. Of special mention is the statue of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Miguel López
Miguel López
Miguel López is an Argentine film editor.Some of the films he has edited have been critically well received, for example: La Noche de los lápices .-Filmography:* Destino de un capricho * Los Hombres sólo piensan en eso...
, for which Alciati won prizes at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and the 1895 World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in Atlanta.
Alciati was appointed professor of sculpture, decoration and modelling at the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes in 1895. At the beginning of the 20th century he was commissioned by then President
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
Porfirio Díaz
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
to create most of the sculptures for the Independence Column in Mexico City under the direction of Antonio Rivas Mercado
Antonio Rivas Mercado
Antonio Rivas Mercado was a Mexican architect, engineer and restorer. His most notable project was the design of the Independence Column in downtown Mexico City. He was father of Antonieta Rivas Mercado....
. While he made the marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
s in Mexico and 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....
, he cast the bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
s exclusively in the Italian city.
Sculptures
Most of his late works are spread over the Mexico City downtown area, some of these include:- Various busts of prominent Mexicans along Paseo de la Reforma.
- A bust of Josefa Ortíz de DomínguezJosefa Ortiz de DomínguezMaría Josefa Cresencia Ortiz y Girón, popularly known as Doña Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez or La Corregidora was an insurgent and supporter of the Mexican War of Independence, which fought for independence against Spain, in the early 19th century...
located in Santo Domingo Square, northwest of the Metropolitan Cathedral. - Sculptures that decorate the Postal Palace, across the street from Bellas ArtesPalacio de Bellas ArtesThe Palacio de Bellas Artes is the most important cultural center in Mexico City as well as the rest of the country of Mexico...
. - A statue of Benito JuárezBenito Juarez (Alciati)Benito Juárez is the title of a work of art by Enrique Alciati, located at the intersection of Virginia Avenue and New Hampshire Avenue in Washington, District of Columbia, United States...
given as a gift to the United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government and now located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, DC.
See also
- Porfirio DíazPorfirio DíazJosé de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori was a Mexican-American War volunteer and French intervention hero, an accomplished general and the President of Mexico continuously from 1876 to 1911, with the exception of a brief term in 1876 when he left Juan N...
- El Ángel de la IndependenciaEl ÁngelEl Ángel de la Independencia , most commonly known by theshortened name El Ángel and officially known as Columna de la Independencia, is a victory column located on a roundabout over Paseo de la Reforma in downtown Mexico City.El Ángel was built to commemorate the centennial of the beginning of...
- SculptureSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
- Statues of the LiberatorsStatues of the LiberatorsA series of Statues of the Liberators of western-hemisphere countries from colonial rule is found along Virginia Avenue, N.W., in Washington, D.C...
External links
- Sculpture of Benito Juárez in Washington, DC. Brief description.