The Italian Years
In the 1830s, the first generation of notable American sculptors studied and lived in Italy, particularly in Florence and Rome, creating in the Neoclassic style. At that time, Italy "provided the proper atmosphere, brought the sculptor close to the great monuments of antiquity, and provided museum collections that were available to study." They also gave the artists access to the carvers of Italy who translated their clay works into marble. During this period the themes from which the subjects of sculptural works were chosen tended to be drawn from antiquity, the exceptions being portraits (whose subjects were frequently shown wearing Roman or Greek garb) or works that included Native Americans. These artists included Horatio Greenough (1805–1852), Hiram Powers (1805–1873), Thomas Crawford (1814–1857), Thomas Ball (1819–1911) and his son-in-law William Couper (1853–1942), Harriet Hosmer (1830–1908), Chauncey Ives (1810–1894), Randolph Rogers (1825–1892) and (somewhat later) William Henry Rinehart (1825–1874).
-
Horatio Greenough, Abdiel 1838-43
-
Thomas Crawford, David Triumphant, 1848
-
Hiram Powers — The Greek Slave, Raby Castle, 1844
-
Randolph Rogers, Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii, 1856
-
The Willing Captive by Chauncey Ives, Newark, New Jersey 1871
Read more about this topic: Sculpture Of The United States
Famous quotes containing the words italian and/or years:
“The French courage proceeds from vanity—the German from phlegm—the Turkish from fanaticism & opium—the Spanish from pride—the English from coolness—the Dutch from obstinacy—the Russian from insensibility—but the Italian from anger.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)
“If we can “boondoggle” ourselves out of this depression, that word is going to be enshrined in the hearts of the American people for years to come.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)