Antonio Corradini – “Modesty” and other famous artworks

Veiled Truth (also called Modesty or Chastity)  by Antonio Corradini  (1749-52), Marble, Santa Maria della Pietà dei Sangro, Naples

Antonio Corradini was an brilliant Italian Rococo sculptor.
(19 October 1688 in Venice, Italy – 12 August 1752 in Naples, Italy). (aged 63)
Nationality: Italian
Occupation: Sculptor
Unique distinction: Corradini is renowned for his exceptional skill in sculpting marble, particularly for his mastery particularly for his mastery of the technique known as “transparency.” In 1723, Corradini reputedly became the first person to legally separate the art of sculptors from the profession of stonemasons.
Influenced: Corradini was influenced by  the Venetian Baroque style of sculpture, as well as by the works of other Italian sculptors, such as Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Alessandro Algardi, two prominent Italian sculptors of the 17th century.
Style: Rococo. Corradini’s work embodies the elegance, playfulness, and intricate detailing characteristic of the Rococo period. His style can be also described as a blend of Baroque and Rococo, characterized by dynamic movement, elaborate details, and delicate features.
Subjects: Encompassing religious themes, mythological figures, allegorical representations and portraits.
The main contribution to Art: Corradini is best known for his illusory veiled depictions of the human body, where the contours of the face and body beneath the veil are discernible. One of his notable contributions is the creation of the sculpture “The Veiled Truth,” (1749-52) .
Corradini innovative techniques allowed him to play with the translucency of marble and simultaneously preserve transparency and opacity of veiled sculptures. The veils hinted at the hidden form beneath.He meticulously carved intricate patterns, folds, and creases into the veils, aiming for a sense of movement within the stillness of the sculpture.
Family background: Corradini was born 1688 in the parish of SS. Vito and Modesto in Venice. He was the son of Gerolamo Corradini, a professional veler or sail packer for ships and his wife Barbara.
Education background: Corradini was apprenticed to the sculptor Antonio Tarsia (1663 – 1739), for whom he worked probably for four or five years starting at the age of fourteen or fifteen. He later became Tarsia’s son-in-law.
Professional work experience:
In 1709 he began his career as a sculptor. At this time he was employed on work for the façade of the church of San Stae in Venice.
In 1716-17, he completed eighteen busts and two statues for the summer garden of the Russian czar Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, and the first of his famous veiled women; he would complete two more in the city in 1722.
During 1718–23, Corradini completed the outdoor marble statuary group, Nessus and Deianira , for the Grosser Garten and later in 1723-8 he created The Apollo Flaying Marsyas and Zephyrus and Flora for the gardens of the Hollandisches Palais in Dresden.
From 1724-1728 he worked in Venice on the restoration of the stairway and the sculptures of the Doge’s Palace and the facade of the clock tower in the Piazza San Marco. In the 1730s, he spent a decade in Vienna where he was court sculptor for Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor.
In the 1740s he moved first to Rome and later to Naples. He achieved recognition for his sculptures, receiving commissions from patrons and institutions. Notable achievements include his contributions to church decorations and private collections, showcasing his ability to convey emotion through stone. He died on August 12, 1752 in Naples.
Personal life: Corradini married Maria Tarsia, daughter of his teacher Antonio Tarsia.
Most celebrated artworks:
Bust of a Veiled Woman (Puritas), 1717-25, Marble, Museo del Settecento Veneziano, Ca’ Rezzonico, Venice;
Emperor Charles VI as “Hercules Musarum” (1735) in the Austrian National Library in Vienna;
The Vestal Virgin Tuccia (1743) in the Palazzo Barberini, Rome;
Veiled Truth (also called Modesty or Chastity), 1749-52, Marble, Santa Maria della Pietà dei Sangro, Naples.

May 16, 2020 at 1:10 pm Leave a comment