Rafaelle Monti

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Rafaelle Monti

Rafaelle Monti (1818-1881) was born in Italy; the son of noted sculptor Gaetano Monti, he studied under his father. By way of Vienna and Milan, he came to London in 1848, and settled there. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, and Monti soon earned recognition for his piece for the Duke of Devonshire "Statue Voilee". That work's "Veiled" theme would recur over his years.

Monti produced sculptures working in marble, but he also created in metals, porcelain, concrete and remained active in the applied arts.

He was commissioned by the Merchants of London, for the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition, and sculpted the huge Old Father Thames of concrete using Portland cement.

The [Dahesh Museum] in New York City displays "Night" (1862).

This is a work created in "statuary" or "Parian" porcelain. That medium was a pleasant alternative to marble; invented near that time by Copeland and Garrett, Spode Works, Stoke-upon-Trent.

Some mystery attends that piece, as its counterpart statue "Morning" is missing.

Monti's "veiled" style, as a copy, again in Parian, by capable elder contemporary [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gibson_%28sculptor%29 John Gibson]] (1790-1866), can be seen at the UK's [Fitzwilliam Museum].

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