Narcissus. Bronze by Vincenzo Gemito. First half of the 20th century.

Narcissus.
Bronze by Vincenzo Gemito.

Height 63cm

Diameter 26cm

First half of the 20th century.
It bears an inscription Proprieta Artistica 45
there is a stamp of the foundry: Fonderia Gemito Napoli.
Bronze with a brown patina, of great charm. The sculpture of Narcissus by Gemito comes from the elaboration of the small bronze found in the excavations of Pompeii and preserved in the Archaeological Museum in Naples, where the sculptor used to go to study ancient Roman art. Vincenzo Gemito created different versions of the figure of Narcissus, with different patinas, brown, golden, etc. Like many other Gemito statues, this statue is a hymn to the classical perfection of a young male body.
Our specimen was cast in the first half of the 20th century.
Very good condition with beautiful patina. 

The deep influence of antiquity on Gemito's sculpture is self-evident. His 'copy' of the antique bronze of Narcissus, found in Pompeii in 1862, is a prime example. Made just 24 years after the discovery of the original, Gemito has slightly changed the original, notably in the position of the left arm. Gemito has tried to enhance the perfection of Narcissus' already perfect body.

By contrast when Gemito comes to interpret this antique ideal of beauty in his models of contemporary Neapolitan urchins whom he observed in the streets and on the harbor, they are somehow contorted in pose and physiognomy, revealing the hardship of life in Naples. Yet they are imbued with the spirit of antiquity which ran through Gemito's veins.