Nicola Gagliardi - sculptor
Born in San Vittore Olona (Milan) in 1944, Nicola Gagliardi devotes the years of his youth (1962-67) not only to his studies but also to professional collaboration in his father’s and uncles’ workshops. From his sculptor paternal grandfather and his marble craftsman father he learns the basics of stone masonry.
He attends Milan’s “Accademia di Brera”, from which he graduates in 1967 with talented medallist Ettore Calvelli. During that period he frequents the studios of sculptors Carlo Russo, Nicola Scaringi, Riccardo Pitter and Carmelo Cappello, and of painters Gino Moro and Domenico Purificato. Later in 1967 he becomes a freelancer, opens his own studio and devotes himself to producing works of sacred art, sculptures of his own creation, replicas of historical sculptures and public commemorative monuments.
At first his works take shape following the different plastic experiments attempted in the course of his research – from works in the manner of Medardo Rosso, such as “Il Sogno” (The Dream), in terracotta and bronze, to those in post-Cubist style, like “L’Albero della Vita” (The Tree of Life), “Vietnam”, “Sofferente” (Sufferer), in bronze, terracotta and Sarnico stone. Around the years 1969-71 he defines a plastic and thematic language of his own. It retraces his exploration starting from the generating form and ending in the definition of pure, essential forms, as in “Maternità” (Maternity), “Attesa” (Waiting), “Preghiera” (Prayer), “Donna al sole” (Woman in the sun). Materials range from bronze, glazed terracotta, various marble types, travertine, silver fusions and alabaster to experiments with a resin, ethyl methacrylate. The next step takes him to the creation of strictly informal work: “Spirali” (Spirals), “Piccolo Seme” (Small Seed) and “Grande Seme” (Big Seed), made from polished slate, red Verona marble, polished Labrador granite, patinated polished bronze and iron. Next comes the long series of “Cavalli” (Horses) from 1977 to 1995: “Caduta” (Fall), “Galoppo” (Gallop), “Grande Rifiuto” (Great Refusal), bronzes, alabasters, glazed terracottas, red Verona marble, red Asiago marble and Portoro marble. He then continues in the line of “allusive figuration”, investigating a number of plastic problems - such as the relation between light and material - which produce particular sculptures and motifs like “Amanti” (Lovers), “Giocolieri” (Jugglers), “Bagnanti” (Bathers), interpretations of glazed terracotta, bronzes, Verona red, Mori yellow, Marquinia black, bianco Statuario. The works are often the result of joining together various types of marbles or marbles with polished and patinated bronzes.
In the years 1989-90 the creation of bronze and polychrome marble low-reliefs such as “Colline” (Hills), “Mare” (Sea), “Tout va très bien” carries on the plastic research on the material / light / colour relationship, through the use of polished and patinated bronze, various types of marble, Pietra Dorata, Bedonia sandstone, assemblages of marble and ceramic, second and third firing glazed ceramics. In the making of polychrome ceramic low-reliefs – “Medusa etrusca” (Etruscan Medusa), “Aruspice” (Haruspex), “Odisseo” (Odysseus), “Dioniso” (Dionysus), “Impressioni mediterranee” (Mediterranean Impressions), “Risiere” (Rice Fields) – Gagliardi seeks the aesthetic pleasure of combining form and colour, enhancing the peculiar technique that cannot create serially produced items but only unique unrepeatable pieces.
From the 1970’s on he creates what he calls “sculpted homages” – study copies of sculptures in various typs of marble dedicated to a number of great sculptors:
Giovanni di Balduccio, “La Maestà” , in pink Portuguese marble
Jacopo della Quercia, “Madonna”, in white Carrara marble and Travertine
Andrea della Robbia, “Vergine con Figlio” (Virgin and child) in pink Portuguese marble
Antonio Rossellino, “Vergine con Figlio”, in pink Portuguese marble
Pietro Tacca, “Cristo” (Christ), in Candoglia marble and pink Portuguese marble
Michelangelo Buonarroti, “Vergine con Figlio e San Giovannino” (Virgin and child with St John), in Palissandro marble
Antonio Canova, “Amore e Psiche” (Love and Psyche), bronze fusion and Rosso antico marble.
In the years 1999-2000 he starts directing his plastic explorations towards surrealistic and metaphysical themes – “Pensatore” (The Thinker) and “Dieci Sogni di André Breton” (The Ten Dreams of André Breton) – focusing interest on the ironic and contradictory reality of everyday life. These sculptures, mostly made from glazed ceramic and bronze, experiment assembling different materials in various ways.
Since 1966 he has contributed to 152 national and international group exhibitions and has set up 22 solo shows, the first one at “Galleria Montenapoleone” in Milan, 12 to 24 December 1970, and the most recent at “Studio d’Arte Liberty” in Angera (Varese), 21 April to 13 May 2007.
From the very beginning of his activity (1965) Gagliardi has designed and produced over 100 works of sacred art for the decoration of funeral aediculae: statues, busts, high-reliefs, low-reliefs, medallions, in bronze fusions and various types of marble and granite. Some examples are the “Civilini” funerary Chapel in Viggiù (Varese), 1993-95, and the “Verderio-Scarabello” Chapel in Lonate Pozzolo (Varese), 2000-2002.
Among the over 50 works commissioned to him by public institutions we can mention:
- the Fountain Monument in Travertine, dedicated to Italy’s Navy Men and inaugurated in Castellanza (Varese) in 1967;
- the great bronze bust of Grand’ Ufficiale Fabio Vignati for “Sant’Erasmo” Nursing Home in Legnano (Milan), inaugurated in 1968;
- the great bronze bust dedicated to Don A. Gianotti for Sant’Edoardo’s Parish Church in Busto Arsizio (Varese), 1971;
- the bronze bust dedicated by Gioventù Musicale Italiana to composer Maestro Francesco Paolo Neglia, inaugurated in Legnano (Milan) in 1972.
.- the great bronze bust dedicated to Don Giuseppe Magni for the City of San Vittore Olona (Milan) in 1981;
- the bronze bust dedicated to Cardinal Andrea Ferrari for the Parish Church of Santo Stefano Ticino (Milan), 1987;
- the bronze statue “Offerta” (Offering) in memory of the Fallen Soldiers of Armio-Val Veddasca, Luino (Varese) 1987;
- the two great statues in pink Portuguese marble forming the “Annunciazione” group: “Angelo Annunciante” (Announcing Angel, 2.90m in height) and “Vergine Annunciata” (Virgin of the Annunciation, 2.70m), for the “Madonna della Speranza” Parish Church in Gallarate (Varese), introduced by Prof. Rossana Bossaglia and inaugurated in 1993;
- the bronze doors “Le Beatitudini” (the Beatitudes, 4.34m x 2.88m x 0.20m) for the Parish Church of San Vittore Olona (Milan), inaugurated by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini in 1997;
- the bronze bust dedicated to Risorgimento patriot “Ercole Ferrario”, inaugurated in 1997 for the Municipality of Samarate (Varese);
- the bronze low-relief “Re Magi Adoranti” (The Adoration of the Magi) for the entrance door of the “Chiesa dei Santi Magi” (Church of the Holy Magi) in Legnano (Milan), inaugurated in 2000;
- the bronze low-relief dedicated by the “Società Arte e Storia” to Professor Augusto Marinoni, a distinguished Leonardo da Vinci scholar, inaugurated in 2004 in the auditorium of “Liceo Scientifico Galileo Galilei” in Legnano (Milan);
- the high-relief in pink Portuguese marble, dedicated by the Municipality of Scaldasole (Pavia) to Don Pietro Cerri, inaugurated in 2005;
- “Reading and Writing”, two high-reliefs in white Carrara statuary marble (2.20m x 1.10m x 0.35m), created for “Istituto Tirinnanzi”, a school in Legnano, inaugurated in 2007;
- Fontana di San Lorenzo (St Lawrence Fountain), a fountain-aedicule in Istrian stone, inaugurated in Gorla Minore (Varese) in 2008;
- “On either side of the tree”, a low-relief in pietra dorata stone for the entrance of the Oncology Department of “Luigi Sacco” Hospital in Milan, and the works “Impressioni mediterranee” (Mediterranean Impressions), “Colline” (Hills) and “Risiere” (Rice Fields), inaugurated in 2010;
- four statues (1.40 m) in pietra di Vicenza: “San Re Davide” (Holy King David), “Santo Stefano d’Ungheria” (St Stephen of Hungary), “San Ferdinando Re” (St Ferdinand King) and “San Luigi dei Francesi” (St Louis of France) for the façade of the Chiesa di S. Edoardo Re (Church of St Edward King) in Busto Arsizio (Varese), installed in 2011.
Since 1984 he has constantly collaborated with the “Veneranda Fabbrica” of Milan Cathedral, making replicas of sculptures, mostly coming from the apse’s bays and from the transepts, terraces, spires and pinnacles. These sculptures were beyond recall due to weathering and air pollution, structurally damaged, impossible to restore and often with extensive parts missing. Following indispensable historical-stylistic research, Gagliardi avails himself of the Veneranda Fabbrica Archives for the reconstruction of any missing parts, and recreates the original state of the sculpture in the Candoglia marble copy.
In 1995, on commission from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, he makes replicas of two statues: “San Luca Evangelista” (St Luke the Evangelist), from the original by Grazioso Rusca (1810, 2.20m) and “Re David” (King David), from the original by Luigi Acquisti (1809, 2.05m), situated in the central span of the façade of Milan Cathedral.
More than 110 replicas have been made up to now, the most significant being:
- the statue “Profeta con cartiglio” (Prophet with scroll), from the 17th century original (1.90 m), replicated in 1985;
- the statue of “S. Cirillo” (St Cyril), from the original by Ignazio Micotti (1866, 1.35 m), made in 1987;
- the statue of “S. Orsola” (St Ursula), from the original by Giuseppe Grandi (1869, 2.10m), made in 1988;
- the “Gigante-Cariatide” (Giant Caryatid), from the 15th century original (2.14m), replicated in 1989
- the statue of a “Prophet”, from the 17th century original (1.95m), replicated in 1990;
- the statue of “Angelo Cherubino” (Cherub Angel), 3.08 m in height, replicated in 1991 from the 15th century Rhinian-Bohemian style original, situated in the right-hand edge of the central full-length apse window;
- the statue of “Sibilla” (Sibyl), from the 16th century original (1.93m), replicated in 1993
- the statue of “Angelo Cherubino”, from the Rhinian school original (1.74m), replicated in 1994;
- the statue of “S. Anna” (St Anne) from the 1860 original (1.23m), replicated in 1996;
- the statue of “S. Ignazio da Loyola” (St Ignatius Loyola), from the original by Pompeo Marchesi (1855, 1.51m), replicated in 2000;
- the statue of “S. Renatus Martire” (St Renatus the Martyr), from the original by Abbondio Sangiorgio (1855, 1.56m), made in 2000;
- the statue of “S. Agata” (St Agatha), from the original by Giovanni Pandiani (1867, 1.23m), replicated in 2001.
For the façade:
Other significant statues – besides the above-mentioned “San Luca Evangelista” and “Re David” – are those replicated in conjunction with the extraordinary restoration of the Cathedral’s façade, which lasted from 2003 to December 2008:
-“S. Giuseppe” (St Joseph), “S. Giorgio” (St George), “S. Protasius”, “S. Maximus”,
“S. Gregorius”, “S. Basilius”, “S. Justinus Phl.Mar.”, “S. Joacchinus”;
- “Zacharias”, from the original by Antonio Pasquali, (1810, 2.09 m), and “S. Daniele” (St Daniel), from the original by Donato Carabelli (1810, 2.03 m), both replicated in 2004;
- “S. Giovanni Battista” (St John the Baptist), from the original modelled by Camillo Pacetti and sculpted by Giuseppe Buzzi (1810, 2.18 m), replicated in 2005;
- “Jeremias” (Jeremiah), from the original by Antonio Rusca (1809, 2.11 m), sculpted in 2006;
- “S. Andrea” (St Andrew), from the original by Gaetano Monti (1811, 2.20 m), replicated in 2007;
- “Cariatide” (Caryatid), by anonymous author (2.37 m), placed on the façade in 2008;
- “Esaù diede a Giacobbe la primogenitura” (Esau gave Jacob his birthright), a high-relief from the original by Bartolomeo Ribossi (1794, 1.40 m x 1.08 m), replicated in 2008 and placed on the façade in 2009;
- “S. Filippo Apoatolo” (St Philip the Apostle), from the original by Pompeo Marchesi (1812, 2.18 m), the last statue to be placed on the façade at the end of the restoration.
For spire no. 36:
“S. Ignatius”, from the original by Pietro Ferroni (1811-12, 1.80 m), replicated from March to July 2010;
For the terraces:
“S. Vittore Martire” (St Victor the Martyr), from the original by Giovanni Antonio Labus (1835, 1.30 m), replicated from July to November 2010.
Gagliardi has devoted special attention to the restoration and conservation of many sculptures in private and public collections. Of great significance was the conservative restoration of the “Monumento al Guerriero” (Monument to the Warrior) by Enrico Butti (1900, 6.19 m) and its high-reliefs, made in 1989-90 in Legnano (Milan).
For Cariplo S.p.A. he has restored several works, among which:
“Marchesa Virginia Busti Porro”, by Vincenzo Vela (1871) in white statuary marble and
the sculpted group “Los Emigrantes” (1890) in white Carrara marble.
For the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano he has operated conservative restoration work on various statues, including:
“Profeta Isachab” (1563), by Agostino Busti (or Bambaja),
and “Davide e Golia” (David and Goliath) (1570), both placed in the central bay of the Cathedral apse.
For Legnano’s “Guido Sutermeister” Museum he has restored several romanesque sculpture fragments.
In 1996, for the Municipality of Legnano, he restores the bronze medallion of “Felice Cavallotti”.
In 1998, for Milan’s “Poldi Pezzoli” Museum, he restores the high-relief “Vergine Annunciata” (Virgin of the Annunciation), by Alceo Dossena, in white statuary Carrara marble.
In 2003 he restores “L’uomo antico”, an original gesso by Adolfo Wildt.
For the tambour of the church of S. Maria delle Grazie in Milan he makes replicas, in 2003 and 2007, of two “altorilievi con ghirlanda” (high-reliefs with garland), from the irretrievable 15th century originals.
In 2012 he restores the 1782 sandstone statue of “Beata Giuliana” in Busto Arsizio (Varese).
In 2000, in the rooms of the Municipal Collections of Ancient Art of Milan’s Sforza Castle he holds retraining and refresher courses for 150 museum attendants of the Municipality of Milan.
In 2002, on invitation from “Nazarianum” Cultural Centre, he organizes a historical-didactic exhibition titled “Divina Madre” (Divine Mother). The 32 sculptures, in various types of marble, bronze and gesso, all of them interpreting the figure of “the Virgin and Child”, are on display in the Bramantesque St Catherine of Alexandria chapel of Milan’s Basilica Insigne dei Santi Apostoli e Nazaro Maggiore. The catalogue and the exhiition itself are introduced by Dr. Maria Teresa Fiorio, Curator of Lombardy’s Cultural Heritage. Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi visits the exhibition on 8 December 2002.
In Milan’s Cathedral Museum for “Italia Nostra”and “F.A.I. Italiano”, and in a number of branches of Rotary Club and Lyons Club, he has repeatedly lectured on “Statue decay - restoration and replicas”.
Since 1986 he has been the consultant for Milan’s Tribunal in the field of archaeologic and antique sculpture. In this capacity, in 2000 he carries out evaluations on 15th and 16th century marble artifacts for the Museum of Ancient Art of Milan’s Sforza Castle; he also evaluates works by Alberto Giacometti and Salvador Dalí for Milan’s Tribunal and works by Paolo Troubetzkoi for the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Verbania.
Since 2001 he has also been a member of the Collegio Periti Italiani (Board of Italian Experts). He is currently Arbitrator of the Società Arte e Storia for Legnano’s “Sutermeister” Museum.
In 2006 he is awarded the Prize for Industriousness by the Ente Nazionale di Assistenza e Previdenza per i Pittori e gli Scultori, i Musicisti, gli Scrittori e gli Autori Drammatici (National Department of Social Security for Artists).
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