Medardo Rosso

Medardo Rosso (Turin, 1858 – Milan, 1928) was a sculptor who was among the leading proponents of modern sculpture. He came into contact with the Impressionists and in turn was greatly admired by the Futurists, thus placing himself among the various avant-gardes that came to life between the second half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. He made different versions of the same subject by manipulating materials of various kinds. He became famous for his “unfinished” sculptures in which he captured perceptions in lieu of actual images.

Merdardo Rosso’s sculpture was born in the naturalist sphere but underwent radical transformations after the Turin-based artist became acquainted with the work of Auguste Rodin and the Impressionists in Paris in 1889, so much so that he is considered one of the leading sculptors close to Impressionism: with his sculptures, in fact, Medardo Rosso, by continuously exploring the potential of all materials, especially those that are easier to model (wax and plaster), managed to create works that give the sense of the impression of a moment to the observer.