
The Monteverde Angel or Angel of
the Resurrection (
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
''Angelo di Monteverde'' and ''Angelo della Resurrezione'') is a
masterpiece
A masterpiece, , or ; ; ) is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, skill, profundity, or workmanship.
Historically, ...
of
neo-classical religious sculpture, created in
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
in 1882 by the Italian artist
Giulio Monteverde.
The statue of 1882 guards the
tomb
A tomb ( ''tumbos'') or sepulchre () is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes. Placing a corpse into a tomb can be called '' immurement'', alth ...
of the Oneto
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
in the
cemetery of Staglieno in
Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
, Northern Italy. It is one of the most famous works by the
neo-classical Italian
sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
Giulio Monteverde (1837-1917) and was commissioned by Francesco Oneto, a president of the
Banca Generale, in honour of deceased members of his family.
Portraying a pensive angel with long, richly detailed wings, it is acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and sensual sculptures in its genre, to which Monteverde contributed other important neo-classical works.
A picture of the work graces the cover of several editions of the publication, ''Camposanto Di Genova''. The booklet calls the work, "a true masterpiece" and states, "The Angel, who guards the urn, is admired for the perfect moulding of the arms, neck and head, the deep and soft expression of grief"; the Angel is holding a trumpet, "as if ready to sound it on the last judgement day."
[ Camposanto Di Genova, Fratelli Lichino Piazzale Clmitero Staglieno, Genova, various editions c.1900-c.1950]
Gallery
File:Genova-Cimitero_di_Staglieno-Angelo_di_Monteverde-DSCF9031.JPG,
File:Genova-Cimitero_di_Staglieno-Angelo_di_Monteverde-DSCF9032.JPG,
File:Genova-Cimitero_di_Staglieno-Angelo_di_Monteverde-DSCF9030.JPG,
File:Genova-Cimitero_di_Staglieno-Angelo_di_Monteverde-DSCF9025.JPG,
File:Genova-Cimitero_di_Staglieno-Angelo_di_Monteverde-DSCF9027.JPG,
File:Angelo di Monteverde, figura intera, fotografia Noack-Paganini, 1.jpg,
File:Genova-Cimitero di Staglieno-Angelo di Monteverde-DSCF9030-bis.JPG,
File:Tomba Oneto02.JPG,
References
Bibliography
*F.Resasco, ''La Necropoli di Staglieno'', Genova 1892
*T.Crombie, ''The Sculptors of Staglieno, Genoese nineteenth-century funerary monuments'', in ''Apollo'' 1973 n. 135
*R.Bossaglia-M.F.Giubilei, ''Cadaveri eccellenti'', in ''Arte'' 1982, n. 124
*F.Sborgi (a cura di), ''L'Ottocento e il Novecento. Dal Neoclassicismo al Liberty'', in ''La scultura a Genova e in Liguria. Dal Seicento al primo Novecento'', Genova 1988
*G.Berengo Gardin-G.Nessi Parlato, ''Il giardino del tempo'', Pomezia 1993
*F.Sborgi, ''Staglieno e la scultura funeraria ligure tra Ottocento e Novecento'', Torino 1997
*S.Diéguez Patao-C.Gimènez (a cura di), ''Arte y architectura funeraria, Dublin, Genova, Madrid (XIX-XX)'', Torino, Electa España 2000
*G.Berengo Gardin-G.Nessi Parlato, ''Staglieno, Giganti di marmo. Marble Giants'', Tormena 2002
{{commons Category, Giulio Monteverde's angel in Staglieno
External links
Cimiterodistaglieno.it
See Also
*
Copies of Monteverde's Oneto Angel outside of Genova (Commons Category)
Neoclassicism
Italian sculpture
Cemetery art
Burial monuments and structures
Genoa
1882 sculptures
Sculptures of angels