Emilio Greco

Biography

Born in Catania, Sicily, Greco (1913-1995) was apprenticed to a stone mason and sculptor of funerary monuments at an early age. Between 1948 and 1967 he taught sculpture in Rome, Carrara and Naples, and during the 1950s his own work began to receive serious recognition.Strongly influenced by Etruscan, Greek and Roman art, Greco is best known for his powerful portrait busts and sensual nudes that are classicised yet volumetric, often characterised by perfectly rounded heads. However, whilst such subjects dominate his oeuvre, Greco also received important religious commissions during his career, like his contemporary Giacomo Manzù. One of the artist's first major works was his Monument to Pinocchio of 1953, the base of which differed markedly from Greco's subsequent figurative style in its abstract, spiralling forms.Having won the sculpture prize at the 1956 Venice Biennale, Greco went on to receive numerous prestigious commissions, including the monumental doors of Orvieto Cathedral (1962-64) and the Monument to Pope John XXIII for St Peter's in Rome (1965-67).

Artworks in this collection

Exhibitions featuring Emilio Greco