entry Mar 2012
Statuary, Monuments & Structures in the Villa Comunale
This
is n.5 in a series. To part 1; part 2;
part 3;
part
4; part 6
This one was a bit
confusing, as well, but for a different
reason. It is near the Four Lions fountain and in the
midst of white marble classical statues, so I figured,
more of the same. It, too, was white and gleaming,
but...but there was something different. It was
rough-hewn. Indeed, this Pelican Feeding Her Young is from
1884 and is by Francesco Jerace (1854 –1937), the
prominent Calabrian sculptor. He did the statue of
Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy,
that is one of the famous eight
figures along the western facade of the Royal
Palace. He is most known for his contribution—a group
statue called L'Azione—to
the national monument to King Victor Emanuel II in
Rome. A somewhat hidden work of his in Naples is the statue of Beethoven in the
courtyard of the Naples Conservatory. He also did a
great number of famous literary and political figures
of the day, including Carducci and King Umberto I,
located in many places throughout Italy and even
elsewhere in the Villa Comunale. The museum in his
birthplace of Polistena is named for him. This pelican
statue was done and erected in thanks to the rest of Italy for
help during the cholera epidemic in Naples of 1884. It
bears an inscription to that effect: Dedicated to the memory
of the generous brothers from every province of
Italy who heroically came to the aid of the stricken
during the cholera outbreak of 1884. There
follows a list of those who came to help and paid with
their lives.
This delightful Ionian temple was erected before 1819. It is past the halfway point in the park (entering from the east) and is located on the right-hand side in a bucolic setting. There is nothing further in sources on the building of the temple, but it contains a bust of Virgil (photo insert) by Tito Angelini (1806-78), a Neapolitan sculptor who has many other works in the city. He collaborated with Tommaso Solari (the grandson! of the Solari mentioned earlier in this series) on the grand statue of Dante in Piazza Dante. This bust of Virgil was done in 1826. (He was only 20; I'm thinking that accounts for the youthful appearance of Virgil!)
There is a bit
of confusion about this one. It is commonly
called, even
in
some guide books, Orestes & Electra, since it seems to be a copy
of an identical work in the Naples Archaeological Museum.
In mythology, this brother & sister team are well-known
for plotting revenge against their mother, Clytemnestra,
and stepfather, Aegisthus, for the murder
of their father, Agamemnon.
---> BUT! <---
There is another group statue
in the museum, originally found in Pozzuoli
and now reckoned to be the real Orestes & Electra.
This one (above) and, obviously, the one in the museum
have now been reclassified as Lucius Papirius Talking with his Mother.
Indeed, it is identified as such in the 1846 book by Di Cesare cited in part 1 of this series.
Lucius Papirius was
a Roman general and consul. In this
scene, he is said to be deflecting his mother's curiosity
about the workings of the Roman senate by telling her in jest that they were
considering giving an extra wife to each man in order to populate Rome more abundantly.
This is one of the many charming "fountain groups" in the Villa Comunale and is near the east entrance on the south side (the side that is nearest the sea). It is a copy done by Violani in 1770.
some guide books, Orestes & Electra, since it seems to be a copy
of an identical work in the Naples Archaeological Museum.
In mythology, this brother & sister team are well-known
for plotting revenge against their mother, Clytemnestra,
and stepfather, Aegisthus, for the murder
of their father, Agamemnon.
---> BUT! <---
There is another group statue
in the museum, originally found in Pozzuoli
and now reckoned to be the real Orestes & Electra.
This one (above) and, obviously, the one in the museum
have now been reclassified as Lucius Papirius Talking with his Mother.
Indeed, it is identified as such in the 1846 book by Di Cesare cited in part 1 of this series.
Lucius Papirius was
a Roman general and consul. In this
scene, he is said to be deflecting his mother's curiosity
about the workings of the Roman senate by telling her in jest that they were
considering giving an extra wife to each man in order to populate Rome more abundantly.
This is one of the many charming "fountain groups" in the Villa Comunale and is near the east entrance on the south side (the side that is nearest the sea). It is a copy done by Violani in 1770.
This one was a bit
confusing, as well, but for a different
reason. It is near the Four Lions fountain and in the
midst of white marble classical statues, so I figured,
more of the same. It, too, was white and gleaming,
but...but there was something different. It was
rough-hewn. Indeed, this Pelican Feeding Her Young is from
1884 and is by Francesco Jerace (1854 –1937), the
prominent Calabrian sculptor. He did the statue of
Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of united Italy,
that is one of the famous eight
figures along the western facade of the Royal
Palace. He is most known for his contribution—a group
statue called L'Azione—to
the national monument to King Victor Emanuel II in
Rome. A somewhat hidden work of his in Naples is the statue of Beethoven in the
courtyard of the Naples Conservatory. He also did a
great number of famous literary and political figures
of the day, including Carducci and King Umberto I,
located in many places throughout Italy and even
elsewhere in the Villa Comunale. The museum in his
birthplace of Polistena is named for him. This pelican
statue was done and erected in thanks to the rest of Italy for
help during the cholera epidemic in Naples of 1884. It
bears an inscription to that effect: Dedicated to the memory
of the generous brothers from every province of
Italy who heroically came to the aid of the stricken
during the cholera outbreak of 1884. There
follows a list of those who came to help and paid with
their lives.This delightful Ionian temple was erected before 1819. It is past the halfway point in the park (entering from the east) and is located on the right-hand side in a bucolic setting. There is nothing further in sources on the building of the temple, but it contains a bust of Virgil (photo insert) by Tito Angelini (1806-78), a Neapolitan sculptor who has many other works in the city. He collaborated with Tommaso Solari (the grandson! of the Solari mentioned earlier in this series) on the grand statue of Dante in Piazza Dante. This bust of Virgil was done in 1826. (He was only 20; I'm thinking that accounts for the youthful appearance of Virgil!)
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