Date
1904-1909
Object Type
Photograph
Subject
Sculptural study of a Pope Rezzonico's bust after Antonio Canova presented by the student Carlo De Veroli at the Academy of Fine Arts Carrara
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara
About The Work
The photograph documents an academic sculpture study, most likely produced within a classroom or studio of the Academy. The young artist portrayed beside the work is Carlo De Veroli (1890–1938), a student of the institution and nephew of the sculptor Arturo Dazzi, an important figure in Italian sculpture between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At the center of the image stands a sculptural study of the Pope Rezzonico's plaster bust by Antonio Canova. The marked facial features, deeply carved eyes, and solemn pose recall the tradition of academic portrait sculpture, in which the study of physiognomy and the rendering of the sitter’s character formed a fundamental component of artistic training. De Veroli is depicted beside the sculpture, establishing an almost dialogic relationship with the work; his hand resting on the base suggests both pride and a sense of engagement with the creative process. The photograph, therefore, also carries documentary value. Beyond recording a student exercise and the level of skill achieved by the young sculptor, it conveys the atmosphere of artistic practice within Italian academies in the early twentieth century, where plaster modeling played a central role in the teaching of sculptural techniques and in the study of portraiture. As such, the image preserves the memory of a formative moment in the artist’s education and reflects the continuity between academic tradition and the personal aspirations of a young sculptor.
Title
Carlo De Veroli with a model after the plaster bust of Pope Clement XIII by Antonio Canova
Subject
Sculptural study of a Pope Rezzonico's bust after Antonio Canova presented by the student Carlo De Veroli at the Academy of Fine Arts Carrara
Creator
Unidentified photographer
Date
1904-1909
Object Type
Photograph
Technique / Support
Albumen print
Original Function
Documentation / teaching tool
Dimensions
mm 347x248
Holding institution
Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara
Unique identifier
ICCD_MIDF_7088549891671