Vincenzo Gemito
Italian, 1852–1929
Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi
May 1873
This bust of Giuseppe Verdi was made in 1873, at the height of the composer’s fame. Gemito, by contrast, was relatively unknown outside his hometown of Naples. The sculptor initially had difficulty finding an appropriate pose, finally arriving at this composition after seeing Verdi playing the piano. The portrait captures not only the composer’s likeness, but also a sense of the intense concentration involved in musical creativity.
| Medium | bronze |
| Dimensions | 22 1/4 × 24 3/4 in. (56.5 × 62.8 cm) Base: 9 1/4 × 9 1/8 in. (23.5 × 23.2 cm) |
| Object Number | 2004.17.2 |
| Acquisition | Gift of Catharine Deely and Pam Deely Van De Loo, in loving memory of their parents, James and Patricia Deely, 2004 |
| Status | On View |
Image Caption
Vincenzo Gemito, Portrait of Giuseppe Verdi, May 1873, bronze. Clark Art Institute, gift of Catharine Deely and Pam Deely Van De Loo, in loving memory of their parents, James and Patricia Deely, 2004.17.2
Select Bibliography
di Giacomo, Salvatore. Gemito. Roma: L. Alfieri & Co.. 1923.
Mantura, Bruno. Temi de Vincenzo Gemito. Roma: De Luca Edizioni d'Art. 1989.
de Marinis, Maria Simonetta. Gemito. L'Aquila & Roma: Leandro Ugo Japadre. 1993.
Nocentini, Giovanni. Vincenzo Gemito: sculture e disegni. Arezzo, Italy: Helicon-Arte. 2001.
Savinio, Alberto trans. John Shepley. Operatic Lives. Marlboro, VT: Marlboro Press. 1988.
Walker, Frank. "Vincenzo Gemito and His Bust of Verdi." Music & Letters. 30.1 January. 1949.
Wardropper, Ian and Fred Licht. Chiseled with a Brush. Exhibition catalogue. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicago. 1994.
