Luigi Acquisti
Encyclopedia
Luigi Acquisti was an Italian
sculptor mainly known for his works in the neoclassical
style.
He was born in Forlì
the 29 March 1747 and died in Bologna
in 1823. His works are distributed throughout Italy. Among them are reliefs of Arco della Pace in Milan
; the statue of the Vecchia Legge for the facade of Milan Cathedral; Mars and Venus for the Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo
on Lake Como
; statues in Palazzo Braschi
in Rome
; and an Atlanta (c. 1806) for the Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte in Milan.
academy (1803), and the academy of Mantova.
of the Santuario Santa Maria della Vita (1787).
style typical of Antonio Canova
, in the marble relief
Le arti incoronate dal Genio by Giacomo De Maria. While in Rome he worked along side Canova and Valadier. During this period he decorated the Palazzo Braschi
near Piazza Navona
and the church San Pantaleo.
, helped promote the transition from the graceful figures of the baroque
and the flowery rococo
to the heroic scenes inspired by Benedetto Alfieri. Despite having travelled around Italy, he is considered a Bolognese artist due to having spent most of his childhood in Bologna, having been educated in Bologna, and producing many of his most important works in Bologna.
He is buried in the Certosa of Bologna.
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 mainly known for his works in the neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style.
He was born in Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
the 29 March 1747 and died in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
in 1823. His works are distributed throughout Italy. Among them are reliefs of Arco della Pace in 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 ,...
; the statue of the Vecchia Legge for the facade of Milan Cathedral; Mars and Venus for the Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo
Tremezzo
Tremezzo is a comune of some 1300 people in the Province of Como, in the Italian region Lombardy.It is located on the western shore of Lake Como between Mezzegra to the south-west and Griante to the north-east, and about 20 km from Como...
on Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
; statues in Palazzo Braschi
Palazzo Braschi
Palazzo Braschi is a large Neoclassical palace in Rome, Italy and is located between the Piazza Navona, the Campo de' Fiori, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Piazza di Pasquino. It presently houses the Museo di Roma, the civic museum of Rome....
in 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...
; and an Atlanta (c. 1806) for the Villa Belgiojoso Bonaparte in Milan.
Biography
Acquisti was still young when he moved to Bologna in order to study at the Accademia Clementina as a student of Filippo Balugani and Carlo Bianconi. He consecutively won the prestigious 1st class Marsili-Aldrovandi prize with his works Enea condotto dalla Sibilla ai Campi Elisi (1774) and Un Romano che rapisce una Sabina (1775). In 1785 he was nominated Academico del Numero in the figurative sculpture class by his academy, and in 1780 he became the Direttore di Figura for the same academy. He was an honorary member of the Gran Ducale Fiorentina academy (1782), the Accademia di San LucaAccademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca, was founded in 1577 as an association of artists in Rome, under the directorship of Federico Zuccari, with the purpose of elevating the work of "artists", which included painters, sculptors and architects, above that of mere craftsmen. Other founders included Girolamo...
academy (1803), and the academy of Mantova.
Bologna
His Bolognese period (1774–1791) was typified by the decorazioni all'antica. His work is also imbued with a search of the magnificent and stupefying as seen in his enormous statue for the Chiesa del Triregno (1781). His master piece from this period is found in the cupolaCupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
of the Santuario Santa Maria della Vita (1787).
Rome
In 1792 Acquisti left Bologna for Rome (1792–1807) which was influenced by Acquisti having been a member of the board for the Curlandese prize. In the 1789 edition he saw the neoclassicNeoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
style typical of Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova
Antonio Canova was an Italian sculptor from the Republic of Venice who became famous for his marble sculptures that delicately rendered nude flesh...
, in the marble relief
Relief
Relief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
Le arti incoronate dal Genio by Giacomo De Maria. While in Rome he worked along side Canova and Valadier. During this period he decorated the Palazzo Braschi
Palazzo Braschi
Palazzo Braschi is a large Neoclassical palace in Rome, Italy and is located between the Piazza Navona, the Campo de' Fiori, the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Piazza di Pasquino. It presently houses the Museo di Roma, the civic museum of Rome....
near Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona
Piazza Navona is a city square in Rome, Italy. It is built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans came there to watch the agones , and hence it was known as 'Circus Agonalis'...
and the church San Pantaleo.
Milan
After 1807 Acquisti moved to Milan. During this period he produced many of his most famous works such as the marble statue Atalanta, the marble group Mars and Venus, the statue of David on the façade of the Milan Cathedral and reliefs on the Arco della Pace. These last works were done following the neoclassical canons.Return to Bologna
Acquisti returned to Bologna in 1814, from then until his death producing sculptures for the Certosa of Bologna. However, in the only two works that are known to be his in the cemetery (another pair is attributed to him with the consensus of experts), the artistic level has diminished and the monuments are of a modest nature with sparse detail.Legacy
Acquisti, along with Giacomo RossiGiacomo Rossi
Giacomo Rossi was an Italian 'poet', translator and librettist who settled in London early in the 18th century and wrote librettos for George Frideric Handel, between 1710 and 1729....
, helped promote the transition from the graceful figures of the baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
and the flowery rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
to the heroic scenes inspired by Benedetto Alfieri. Despite having travelled around Italy, he is considered a Bolognese artist due to having spent most of his childhood in Bologna, having been educated in Bologna, and producing many of his most important works in Bologna.
He is buried in the Certosa of Bologna.
External links
- Italycyberguide entry
- Villa Carlota site
- Certosa of Bologna biography of Acquisti http://certosa.cineca.it/chiostro/persone.php?ID=481163
- Comune di Bologna informational brochure http://www.iperbole.bologna.it/bologna/museoarcheologico/informaz/PDF/TAGOpieghevole.pdf