Art Deco Neapolitan 'Scugnizzo' Bust by De Martino, Gilt and Burnished Bronze
By Neapolitan Craftsman
Located in Vigonza, Padua
Neapolitan "Scugnizzo" bust, Street boy, in gilt and burnished bronze, circa 1920 by Giovanni De Martino . Sculpture in gilded bronze and dark patina on a square base in light gray marble. The realistic trait typical of the author is striking. Signature of the artist De Martino on the back Giovanni De Martino (Naples, 13 January 1870 - Naples, 3 March 1935) was an Italian sculptor active in Paris. Important Bronze sculpture depicting a boy's head in Naples called "Scugnizzo" Excellent quality and sublime workmanship, note the delicacy and expressiveness. The sculpture is signed DE MARTINO on the back. GIOVANNI DE MARTINO (Naples 1870-1935) very important sculptor known for the production of sculptures of small bronze busts, in particular street urchins, fishermen, common people, with realistic features. Excellent quality, as seen in the detail photos. Excellent workmanship. A truly beautiful sculpture! BIOGRAPHY OF THE ARTIST Giovanni de Martino (1870-1935) trained in Naples at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. He moved to Paris where he performed small sculptural groups and frequently exhibited at the "Paris Salon", winning the Louvre Museum prize for the bronze work Le Pêcheur de criquets (The Locust Fisherman). Returning to Naples, he returned to a socialist realism and on dedication to the production of sculptures depicting characteristic Neapolitan types, in rascal species, "scugnizzi", children and young fishermen. The dominant theme of his production is childhood: in particular he represents in his works pensive, sad, skinny children, on whose faces the signs of abandonment and suffering emerge (for this reason De Martino becomes known with the nickname of "The sculptor of children...
Vintage 1920s Italian Art Deco Busts
Marble, Bronze
