Italian Memorial Sculpture 1820-1940: A Legacy of Love

Italian monumental sculpture of the 19th and early 20th centuries is among the most remarkable ever made, and remains surprisingly unknown. Its emotional charge is caught in this collection of specially taken photographs, while the scholarly texts analyse the iconographic, cultural and art historical background to the works.

Customer Reviews:

LASTING LEGACIES OF LOVE

By Gail Cooke - January 13, 2005

It may come as a surprise to many that much of Italy's compelling art is found in its cemeteries. As it happens, during the 19th and 20th centuries some of the most acclaimed sculptors were commissioned by families, both Christian and Jewish, to create lasting memorials to their loved ones. Thus, in effect, breathtaking outdoor museums were born.

Now, for the first time in the English language a comprehensive pictorial representation of these art works is found in "Italian Memorial Sculptures 1820-1940: A Legacy of Love". Robert W. Fichter has contributed a number of these luminous photos. He notes that he first became interested in the cemetery movement with a monument he found in the Porte Sante Cemetery located on a hill above Florence. The monument depicts a young couple, "a woman in a gown and a young man in his military uniform gazing at each other." The story is that the young man went to war, and did not return. Photos were used as a source for these... read more

Book Review

By R. J. Delmas - March 15, 2007

Originally bought just for the pictures it might contain. The pictures of monuments throughout Italy were spectacular, and the commentary was fascinating. Altogether a beautiful book that anyone interested in funerary sculpture must own.

Italian Memorial Sculpture---Great Book!

By Glenn T - July 11, 2010

For sculptors like me who love and are inspired by good 19th century figurative works, this is a great addition to your reference library. Like the author, I have been a big fan of Leonardo Bistolfi for many years, even though he is unfortunately rather unknown in America today. The excellent photography throughout the book provides new and useful views of his works that I have in other books. But Bistolfi is only one of a large number of sculptors whose works are covered here. The book is arrranged thematically, which is a handy format for my purposes as a reference. What is great about the photography are the many closeups that provide views not seen in other books, in addition to so many that were unknown to me. And there are lots of photos, much more than I had expected, the vast majority in color. Just the thing for a visual person!

What I have read thus far of the text is both very readable and scholarly, a combination not always found in art books. The focus is both... read more