@MUSEO E REAL BOSCO DI CAPODIMONTE
on display until NOVEMBER 15th 2020
Vincenzo Gemito was a figurative sculptor born in Naples in 1852. Although considered as the most important Italian sculptor of late 19th century his origins were not so promising. He was a street-orphan adopted by a poor artisan and already assisting the sculptor Emanuele Caggiano aged nine. Gemito moved on to work with Stanislao Lista. After acquiring skills modelling clay and wax he independently exhibited a sculpture at Belle Arti di Napoli “Il Giocatore” (The Card Player) a Neapolitan urchin studying a hand of playing cards. The bronze-cast of the same work was purchased for the Capodimonte collection – Vincenzo Gemito was sixteen years old…