Follow Vincenzo Gimeto's models

It follows models of VINCENZO GEMITO (Naples, 1852 - 1929).
"Narcissus". Italy, late nineteenth century.
Bronze sculpture.
Measurements: 61 cm. height.

This bronze is a classicist sculpture, inspired by Greek and Pompeian statuary, which shows an athletic male nude, in the manner of the Greek ephebos. Only his feet, in boot sandals, are covered with fabric. Specifically, it is inspired by a statue made by Vincenzo Gimeto, who in turn was inspired by an original model discovered in Pompeii in 1862. Although archaeologists did not arrive at a clear identification of the character represented, it is usually called "Narcissus", in allusion to the ephebe who fell in love with his own reflection. Due to his lack of attributes, he could also represent the beautiful Adonis (lover of Aphrodite) or the god of music, Apollo. The nude body embodies the Greek ideal of beauty, with its harmonious canon of supple, rounded limbs. A slight twisting of the bust gives the contrapposto a graceful movement.

Gemito was born in Naples into an impoverished family. The day after his birth, his mother left him on the steps of the orphanage. On July 30, 1852 he was adopted by a young family who had recently lost a son. The father was a craftsman, and as a child Gemito was probably encouraged by them. He worked as an apprentice in the studio of painter and sculptor Emanuele Caggiano before the age of 10, demonstrating a dexterity and inventiveness for which he eventually became famous. He also worked in the studio of Stanislao Lista. When he was 12, he enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples and also attended the Domenico Maggiore Academy for evening classes. He molded the terracotta piece, The Player, (Il Giocatore), one of his most famous works, when he was only 16 years old. It created excitement when it was exhibited at Promotrice in Naples, so much so that King Victor Emmanuel II bought it and presented it to the Museo di Capodimonte for permanent display. Gemito moved to Paris in 1877. While creating new works in various media in Paris, he also exhibited his works in prominent salons and galleries, and at the Universal Exposition of 1878. It was at the Paris Salon of the previous year that he experienced a triumph, with the showing of his Neapolitan Fisherman. The acclaim surrounding that work brought him widespread fame and lucrative portrait commissions. He remained in Paris for three years before returning to Naples (1880). In 1883 he once again demonstrated his determination to work outside the norm when he built his own foundry on the via Mergellina in Naples. In 1887, Gemito was commissioned to create a marble statue of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to be erected outside the Royal Palace in Naples. Marble was Gemito's least favorite medium, and he was concerned that this work would be beneath his capabilities. He suffered a mental breakdown and retired to a one-room apartment, and spent periods in a psychiatric hospital. For the next 21 years he worked at drawing, but remained in seclusion, and it was not until 1909 that he resumed sculpture. In his later years, Gemito turned to goldsmithing and silversmithing, and his intricate and delicate works are much admired today.