Читать книгу The Museo Vincenzo Vela in Ligornetto - Marc-Joachim Wasmer - Страница 11

Inundated with commissions, Vela had to adapt his productive capacities to the growing demand, which meant running three studios contemporaneously and employing many assistants and specialized pupils. The sculpture workshop rapidly became a profitable art factory with skilled workers, although the quality of the pieces sometimes suffered. He continued to execute small-scale models personally for use in negotiations with clients, but after casting the life-size clay models in plaster he left to his assistants the challenging task of transposing the model into marble and the polishing of the finished sculpture. He supervised the development of projects as creator, organizer and businessman, doing the manual work himself when it was a question of producing the much-admired surface effects: the public was easily won by his technical virtuosity.

Vincenzo Vela, The Flag-Bearer: Monument to the Sardinian Army, 1857–1859, plaster original.

Vincenzo Vela, Italy Grateful to France, A Gift from Milanese Ladies to the Empress Eugénie, 1861–1862, plaster original.