author
Giovanni Duprè
1817–1882
A leading 19th-century Italian sculptor, he earned praise for bringing unusual lifelike feeling to marble at a time when much sculpture was becoming formulaic. Born in Siena and active in Tuscany, he is especially remembered for works such as Abel and Cain and for his strong place in Italian art between Neoclassicism and realism.
1 Audiobook
Thoughts on Art and Autobiographical Memoirs of Giovanni Duprè
by Giovanni Duprè
About the author
Born in Siena on March 1, 1817, Giovanni Duprè grew up in modest circumstances and first trained in woodcarving before teaching himself sculpture. His early success came with works that showed striking naturalism, and he quickly built a reputation as one of the most admired Italian sculptors of his generation.
Duprè became known for combining classical form with vivid observation of the human body and emotion. Critics and later historians often point to sculptures such as Abel and Cain as examples of the originality that set him apart, and his reputation was often ranked just behind that of his contemporary Lorenzo Bartolini.
He worked on religious, mythological, and portrait subjects, and spent much of his career in Tuscany, especially Siena and Florence. Duprè died in Florence on January 10, 1882, leaving behind a body of work that helped shape 19th-century Italian sculpture.