VITTORIO CARADOSSI (ITALIAN, 1861-1918)

Born in 1861, Vittorio Caradossi studied sculpture under Augusto Rivalta (d. 1925) at the Accademia di Belle Arti. He was commissioned to execute a number of public monuments and is most remembered for his celebrated statue of the Renaissance artist Desiderio da Settignano, the model for which was exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition universelle. In contrast to his municipal works, Caradossi specialized in depictions of celestial and ethereal nudes, such as the present of a moon nymph. Hewn from a single block of Carrara marble, Caradossi's extraordinary skill is further evident in the sense of uninhibited movement the composition so clearly achieves.