Schede
In 1924 Pasquale Rizzoli (1871 - 1953) completed the monument commissioned by Ettore. The three bronze figures dominating the tomb of the Zanetti and Cassinelli families stand out from a light blue mosaic background, interrupted in the centre by a golden cross. Originally the apse was decorated only with sparse blue tiles, later supplemented to fill the entire wall. The group was signed and dated by the sculptor, who also indicated the Capecchi firm of Pistoia as being materially responsible for the casting. The imposing plastic aspect of the figures was influenced by the pictorial style of Adolfo De Carolis (1874-1928) from the Marches region, whom the City of Bologna had commissioned to decorate the walls and ceiling of the Podestà Hall in Palazzo Re Enzo in 1911. His style - between Liberty and a return to ancient art, with a preference for almost “Michelangelo style figures with an imposing muscle structure” – influenced local artists, including Rizzoli. Leonardo Bistolfi’s presence in Bologna is also fundamental for understanding the style of this work. The sculptor from Piedmont was working in the city to create his masterpiece, the Giosue Carducci Monument, which stands in Carducci Square. The first example of this line of influences is the 1912 bronze and serpentine monument for Pompeo Baroni’s tomb in Cloister VI, next to this one.
Melissa La Maida
