Boy with Goose facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boy with Goose |
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| Artist | Girolamo Piccoli |
| Year | 1927 |
| Dimensions | (43 inches in × 20 inches in × 13 inches in) |
| Location | Milwaukee, WI |
| 43°2′56.909″N 87°54′0.547″W / 43.04914139°N 87.90015194°W | |
The Boy with Goose is a famous sculpture created by the Italian artist Girolamo Piccoli. This public artwork is currently stored in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the United States. It's a bronze statue that tells an interesting story about art in public spaces.
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What Does the Sculpture Look Like?
This sculpture is made of bronze. It shows a small boy sitting down. In his lap, he holds a pet goose. The boy gently holds the goose's head with his left hand.
Originally, this sculpture was a fountain. Water would flow out from the goose's open beak. The statue sits on a base that has an uneven shape. It was placed inside a garden planter. The sculpture is about 3 feet 7 inches tall. It is 1 foot 8 inches wide and 1 foot 1 inch deep.
The Story Behind the Sculpture
The first Boy with Goose sculpture was ordered in 1925. A local person named Andrew A. McCabe wanted it for his home. He wanted it to be a fountain. A newspaper article said that a real boy was the model for the sculpture. His name was Dominic Joseph Balestrieri. He later became a firefighter in Milwaukee.
Other people in the city really liked the artwork. They raised $800 to make a copy of it. This copy was made in Bremen, Germany. It was then placed in Lake Park in 1927. It was north of the streetcar station. The fountain was very popular with park visitors. But in 1964, the base of the sculpture was damaged. Park officials had to remove it. The bronze statue was then put into storage.
Finding a New Home for the Sculpture
Years later, a company called Mandel Group planned to build new homes. These homes would be on land that used to be a highway. The City of Milwaukee decided to make part of this land a small public park. The park would be cared for by the new homeowners.
A group of citizens who love art, called Art Action, saw this as a chance. They wanted to bring the Boy with Goose sculpture out of storage. It had been stored away for many years. Art Action worked with private companies, the city, and the county. They found the sculpture. Then, they had the bronze statue cleaned and fixed. They also gave it a new color. Finally, it was placed in its new spot.
About the Artist: Girolamo Piccoli
The artist, Girolamo Piccoli, was born in 1902. He was born in Palermo, Italy. When he was four years old, his family moved to Milwaukee. He later studied art at the Wisconsin School of Art. He also learned from other famous sculptors. These included Frank Vittor in Pittsburgh and Lorado Taft in Chicago.
In 1924, Piccoli started teaching at the Layton School of Art. A year later, he became the head of the sculpture department. From 1924 to 1928, he won several awards. These awards were from the Milwaukee Art Institute. He also created many sculptures for private people. In 1928, Piccoli left Layton. He moved to New York City. There, he opened an art studio with his wife, who was also an artist. In the 1930s, he became the Director of Sculpture for New York City. This was part of a big art program during the Great Depression.
