Italian sculptor. He was the outstanding sculptor in Rome during his period, a figure comparable to his friend Maratta in painting. The vigour and boldness of his style derive from Bernini, but Rusconi was more restrained and classical. His most important works are four over life-size statues of Apostles in S. Giovanni in Laterano (1708-18) and the tomb of Pope Gregory XIII (1719-25) in St Peter’s.
The significant sculptural undertaking that inaugurated the eighteenth century in Rome was the realization of the colossal statues of the Apostles in twelve monumental, green marble niches, decorated by the dove symbol of the Pamphilj family, which Francesco Borromini built during the reconstruction of the interior of San Giovanni in Laterano. The statues, the completion of Borromini’s project, were executed before 1718 by the most important sculptors of the time from Rome and elsewhere. The sculptors included Camillo Rusconi (Andrew, Matthew, James the Greater, John the Evangelist), Francesco Moratti (Simon), Angelo de’ Rossi (James the Less), Giuseppe Mazzuoli (Philip), Lorenzo Ottoni (Thaddeus), as well as the Frenchmen Pierre-�tienne Monnot (Peter, Paul) and Pierre Le Gros (Bartholomew, Thomas).
Among these artists Camillo Rusconi was the most noted sculptor of the first half of the century.
The statue shows the apostle at a moment of psychological tension which is given visal expression by the juxtaposition of a book and the saint’s head. St Matthew is represented with his foot crashing a bag of money, a reference to his work as tax-collector before being called to follow Christ.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 8 minutes):
Johann Sebastian Bach: St. Matthew Passion BWV 244 (excerpts)
Rusconi represented Fortitude as female - most abstract qualities are of the feminine gender in Latin. His Fortitude is a rather conventional Minerva-like figure in armour.
The significant sculptural undertaking that inaugurated the eighteenth century in Rome was the realization of the colossal statues of the Apostles in twelve monumental, green marble niches, decorated by the dove symbol of the Pamphilj family, which Francesco Borromini built during the reconstruction of the interior of San Giovanni in Laterano. The statues, the completion of Borromini’s project, were executed before 1718 by the most important sculptors of the time from Rome and elsewhere. The sculptors included Camillo Rusconi (Andrew, Matthew, James the Greater, John the Evangelist), Francesco Moratti (Simon), Angelo de’ Rossi (James the Less), Giuseppe Mazzuoli (Philip), Lorenzo Ottoni (Thaddeus), as well as the Frenchmen Pierre-�tienne Monnot (Peter, Paul) and Pierre Le Gros (Bartholomew, Thomas).
Among these artists Camillo Rusconi was the most noted sculptor of the first half of the century.
The significant sculptural undertaking that inaugurated the eighteenth century in Rome was the realization of the colossal statues of the Apostles in twelve monumental, green marble niches, decorated by the dove symbol of the Pamphilj family, which Francesco Borromini built during the reconstruction of the interior of San Giovanni in Laterano. The statues, the completion of Borromini’s project, were executed before 1718 by the most important sculptors of the time from Rome and elsewhere. The sculptors included Camillo Rusconi (Andrew, Matthew, James the Greater, John the Evangelist), Francesco Moratti (Simon), Angelo de’ Rossi (James the Less), Giuseppe Mazzuoli (Philip), Lorenzo Ottoni (Thaddeus), as well as the Frenchmen Pierre-�tienne Monnot (Peter, Paul) and Pierre Le Gros (Bartholomew, Thomas).
Among these artists Camillo Rusconi was the most noted sculptor of the first half of the century.
Niches set into the pillars of the main nave of the Lateran basilica hold imposing statues of the Apostles, made in the early years of the 18th century by famous sculptors of the time such as Camillo Rusconi, Pierre Legros, and Pierre Monnot. Camillo Rusconi was responsible for four of the twelve statues of the Apostles.
The process of populating the churches of Rome with statues and carved tombs continued at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and the sculptors’ workshops were extremely active. (They even produced for export, e.g. statues were ordered from Rome for the Palace-Monastery of Mafra near Lisbon.) Sculpture was now firmly fixed in the style of Bernini. Camillo Rusconi, the Frenchman Pierre Legros (1666-1719) and Ren�-Michel (called Michel-Ange) Slodtz are among the sculptors most typical of this continuation of the Baroque.
The tomb of Pope Gregory XIII in St Peter’s is one of Rusconi’s masterpieces. Like most such memorials in the early eighteenth century, it is subscribed to the basic formula of Algardi’s tomb of Leo XI, albeit with Berninesque touches. Religion looks up to the figure of the Pope giving benediction as Fortitude lifts the massive drapery to reveal a sarcophagus with a relief commemorating the Gregorian emendation of the calendar. Despite the ostensible religious context of the monument, its focal point remained the Pope as enlightened reformer rather than spiritual leader.
The process of populating the churches of Rome with statues and carved tombs continued at the beginning of the eighteenth century, and the sculptors’ workshops were extremely active. (They even produced for export, e.g. statues were ordered from Rome for the Palace-Monastery of Mafra near Lisbon.) Sculpture was now firmly fixed in the style of Bernini. Camillo Rusconi, the Frenchman Pierre Legros (1666-1719) and Ren�-Michel (called Michel-Ange) Slodtz are among the sculptors most typical of this continuation of the Baroque.
The tomb of Pope Gregory XIII in St Peter’s is one of Rusconi’s masterpieces. Like most such memorials in the early eighteenth century, it is subscribed to the basic formula of Algardi’s tomb of Leo XI, albeit with Berninesque touches. Religion looks up to the figure of the Pope giving benediction as Fortitude lifts the massive drapery to reveal a sarcophagus with a relief commemorating the Gregorian emendation of the calendar. Despite the ostensible religious context of the monument, its focal point remained the Pope as enlightened reformer rather than spiritual leader.
