Vincenzo Gemito

Private collection, France

The deep influence of antiquity on Gemito’s sculpture is self-evident. His ‘copy’ of the antique bronze of Narcissus, found in Pompeii in 1862, is a prime example. Made just 24 years after the discovery of the original, Gemito has slightly changed the original, notably in the position of the left arm. Gemito has tried to enhance the perfection of Narcissus’ already perfect body. By contrast when Gemito comes to interpret this antique ideal of beauty in his models of contemporary Neapolitan urchins whom he observed in the streets and on the harbor, they are somehow contorted in pose and physiognomy, revealing the hardship of life in Naples. Yet they are imbued with the spirit of antiquity which ran through Gemito’s veins.

The present beautifully cast bronze of Narcissus is distinguished by a personal dedicatory inscription from Gemito to Paolo Renna. This personal gift to a friend reflects the exquisite quality.