"LOGISTICAL" INTRODUCTION: THE FIREPLACE WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU IS PICTURED ABOVE THROUGH PICTURES TAKEN (OBVIOUSLY BEFORE DISASSEMBLY) BY THE ENGLISH GENTLEMEN WHO THIS IMPORTANT NAPOLEON III PERIOD MANTEL SOLD US... THESE PHOTOGRAPHS SEEMED TO US SO BEAUTIFUL AND MADE WITH SO MUCH LOVE, THAT MY SON ENRICO AND I (GENERALLY FAR TOO FUSSY ABOUT THE QUALITY OF OUR PHOTOGRAPHS) AND I DECIDED TO PUBLISH THEM IN LIEU OF TAKING MORE SHOTS HERE IN OUR WAREHOUSE.
“SUMPTOUS”, that's the adjective I was looking for to express the personality of this exceptional specimen of Italian sculpture and Parisian stylism.
Fastidious because it is something more than “rich,” however, it does not reach the stage of “excessive,” it keeps in tracks of great Elegance despite the extraordinary (and by us NEVER seen in such a model) decorative exuberance.
So many are the arrows in its bow, in a jumble that seems to go to your head and yet fills your eyes with Beauty. I think that this strange effect is due to a characteristic that few sculptural specimens possess, and that is an apt union of Parisian stylism (mind you, I did not say “French,” but really “Parisian”-it is very important this clarification) with the masterful and unsurpassed quality of Pietrasanta (ITALY) Sculpture.
The Parisian stylist and the Pietrasanta sculptor, although 1500 km apart, produced together this SUBLIME REFINEDNESS, the former with his pencil, the latter with his “violin” (very fine and Pietrasanta sculpting instrument). Such a pairing of artists could not have been put together anywhere else on the globe.
An examination of the various (infinite) refinements of this work can only be done when you and I are in front of the work itself, then you will make me happy by allowing me to communicate to you (I believe we live for this, or do we not?, to communicate to others how much we have to express), point by point its many artistic beauties and its, now unattainable, qualities of craftsmanship.
And now, now that I have written about his “unmatched qualities of craftsmanship, ‘ I would like to leave the actual commentary on this illustrious ’Olive Branch” (which then, you know, don't you, that not of peaceful olive tree but of imperious laurel..) to make this point:
SUCH A QUALITY OF SCULPTURE CAN NO LONGER BE REPRODUCED TODAY, NOT EVEN, NOT EVEN IN THE SANCTA SANTORUM OF MODIALE SCULPTURE, THAT IS, IN PIETRASANTA.
AND THIS REALIZATION IS SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME SICK, GIVES ME A SENSE OF EMPTINESS, AN UNCONTROLLABLE VERTIGO, BUT WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THIS WORLD!
And again: But is it ever possible for us Italians to be such assholes as to dissipate a heritage accumulated over more than TWO THOUSAND YEARS!
The school of sculpture, in Italy, was born in 400 B.C., after the conquest of Veio, the Etruscan capital, and since then it has NEVER had rivals.
Until today it will never have had rivals, because, remember it all, soon the Chinese will supplant this millennial school!!!
The Ministry of Cultural Heritage should (as the French and the Germans have been doing for some time now, albeit with what little human artistic material they have at their disposal) incentivize schools of high craftsmanship, those yes, which would produce secure and well-paid jobs!!! Is it possible for us to let an invaluable heritage go to waste without doing anything about it!!!
Well, as much as possible, we do a little something; we just hired a guy whose resume said “good craftsmanship” and “passionate about crafts in general.” And things seem to be going in the right direction.
SECOND EMPIRE PERIOD ITALIAN SCULPTURE, PARISIAN PENCIL, ENGLISH FIND, EMILIAN RESTORATION, A NICE MIX, YOU NAME IT.
