Vincenzo Gemito Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vincenzo Gemito
Self-portrait, 1886
Born	(1852-07-16)16 July 1852 Naples, Italy
Died	1 March 1929(1929-03-01) (aged 76) Naples, Italy
Nationality	Italian
Education	Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli
Known for	Painting, drawing, sculpture, smithing
Notable work	The Cards Player (Il giocatore di carti)
Spouse(s)	Anna Cutolo (m. 1882; d. 1906)
Partner(s)	Mathilde Duffaud (1873-1881)

Vincenzo Gemito (born July 16, 1852 – died March 1, 1929) was a talented Italian sculptor and artist. Even though he learned from famous artists in Naples, Rome, and Paris, many people thought he mostly taught himself. This helped him create very special art that looked incredibly real. His sculptures were even shown at the 1924 Summer Olympics as part of an art competition!

Early Life and Training
Becoming a Famous Artist
Unique Artistic Methods
Gallery
See also

Early Life and Training

Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

Vincenzo Gemito was born in Naples to a family that didn't have much money. The day after he was born, his mother left him at an orphanage. He was given the last name "Genito," which meant "born," as was common for orphans. But somehow, his name became "Gemito" in the orphanage records.

A few weeks later, on July 30, 1852, a young family adopted him. The father was a skilled worker, so Vincenzo probably learned to use his hands from a young age. Before he was 10, he was already working as an apprentice in the studio of painter and sculptor Emanuele Caggiano. He showed amazing skill and creativity, which he later became famous for. He also worked in Stanislao Lista's studio.

When he was just 12 years old, Vincenzo joined the Naples Academy of Fine Arts. There, he became a lifelong friend of another artist, Antonio Mancini. He also took night classes at the Domenico Maggiore Academy to learn even more.

Becoming a Famous Artist

Vincenzo created one of his most famous works, The Player (Il Giocatore), when he was only 16 years old. This sculpture was made from terracotta, a type of baked clay. When it was shown in Naples, everyone was very excited about it! King Victor Emmanuel II bought it and placed it in the Museo di Capodimonte for everyone to see permanently.

In 1877, Gemito moved to Paris, France. There, he became good friends with the well-known French artist Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier. While in Paris, Vincenzo created new art using different materials. He also showed his works in famous art shows and galleries, including the Universal Exposition of 1878. The year before, at the Paris Salon, he had a huge success with his sculpture Neapolitan Fisherboy. He had worked on this piece for several years to make it perfect. The praise for this artwork made him widely famous and brought him many requests for portraits. He stayed in Paris for three years before returning to Naples in 1880.

Unique Artistic Methods

In 1883, Vincenzo Gemito showed his unique approach to art again. He built his own foundry in Naples. A foundry is a place where metal is melted and shaped. He did this to bring back an old method called the "lost-wax process" for casting bronze. This method had been used a lot during the Renaissance period, hundreds of years before.

In 1887, Gemito was asked to create a marble statue of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. This statue was meant to stand outside the Royal Palace of Naples. Marble was not Vincenzo's favorite material to work with. He worried that this project was not good enough for his skills. He became very stressed and withdrew from public life. For the next 21 years, he mostly stayed by himself, focusing on drawing. It wasn't until 1909 that he started sculpting again, creating more amazing works.

In his later years, Gemito began working with gold and silver. His detailed and delicate pieces made from these precious metals are still greatly admired today.

In 1952, Italy issued a postage stamp to celebrate 100 years since Vincenzo Gemito's birth.