The Art of the Marble Carver

[Gargoyle]

In the past I've shared some photos here of Italian marble carving

My book, "Staglieno - The Art of the Marble Carver" has just been published by Edgecliff Press.

Overflowing with breathtaking artwork, Camposanto di Staglieno in Genoa is one of Italy's greatest hidden sculptural treasures. This monumental cemetery is an outdoor museum of late 19th and early 20th century sculpture. In this book I share my insight into some of the secrets locked in these marble sculptures, and I explain the processes and the roles of the artisans that transformed massive blocks of stone into these intricate and dramatic memorials. The book is 88 pages, with over 300 photos.

You can learn more about the book on my site, at http://stonecarver.com/Staglieno.html
It's also Amazon, but I will autograph any copies ordered from my site.

Also, if you first go through my Facebook page (shortcut http://stonecarver.com/facebook ) you'll find a coupon for $2 off.

Thank you,

 

[ED DELORGE]

Hello Gargoyle, I am very impressed. Your book displays some amazing works.

Yes I want a copy, and will order when in a day or two.

Thanks for letting us see.

Ed

 

[Weldon47]

That looks like another on the "must have" list!

WL

 

[sam]

I ordered mine today. Can't wait to spend a few hours soaking up all that great art!

 

[katia]

Hi Gargoyle,

what a magnificent subject!
I have always been fascinated by Staglieno's cemetery, most of the statues in there are executed with such mastery, it is untrue. I hope to be able to make a trip to Genoa and have a look for myself.
I'll make sure to order your book ASAP.

 

[Gargoyle]

Katia, do visit there. The works are beautiful, the quantity of superb work is overwhelming, and there are pieces of the absolute highest levels of technical virtuosity.

I note you're in the UK. The regular order form on my site is only for domestic US orders, because of some limitations in the PayPal system. However, I have instructions for international orders on another page,
http://stonecarver.com/Staglieno-international.html
The book is also available on Amazon, but I'll sign any ordered from my site.

 

[Gargoyle]

I wanted to share this photo from my book - note how the coins are carved out of the marble block, and the faces, etc. carved on the faces of the coins. Exceedingly difficult to do this without snapping them off or breaking them in the process, since it is all so delicate. Also, think about the "angle of attack" for the chisels to get at the fingers; the coins and bowl are in the way when trying to carve the inside of the fingers and the palm of the hand. When you can't get a straight path into the surface it all gets much trickier- the angle of force coming into the cutting edge of the chisel isn't necessarily an ideal angle for shaping the surface of the stone. (to help visualize it, think about trying to engrave the lines of the palm or the folds of the fingers, and how you'd get a tool in there).

 

[filbertius]

That is a stunning picture. Is the carving life-size?
Gary

 

[Gargoyle]

That is a stunning picture. Is the carving life-size?
Gary

Yes. This is just a small detail of a much larger piece. I'll look for a photo of the whole thing.

 

[canadian]

Walter,

I visited your Facebook page and now I'm a fan.

I am so impressed with you work!
I love the examples of the artwork in your book, like the lace in the statue of a woman. This must require to have patience of a Titan. I will definitely get it.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us.
Boris

 

[Gargoyle]

The photo of the coins being poured from a bowl is a small detail of this memorial.

Note also the ornamental carving in the marble capitals and cornice behind the angels, the nun in the lower left (there is more to this work than fit the frame of this photo), the snake wrapped around the arm of the angel on the left, the soft feel to the folds of the drapery...

 

[Roger Bleile]

Holy cannoli!!! The people who designed and sculpted these memorials were skilled beyond belief. I must ask, were the memorials designed by people other than the caftsmen who sculpted them? Was there a division of labor on such projects whereby some carvers specialized in archetectural elements, some on ornamentation and some on the figures or were all the carvers equally skilled on all?

I've got to get the book and visit that place the next time I go to Italy. We are lucky that this place wasn't destroyed in WWII like so many other wonderful things in Europe.

Roger

 

[sam]

My book came in and it's absolutely excellent. What a great resource of some of the finest stone carvings. The work is just unbelievable. Anyone interested in art will really enjoy this book. Great job, Walter!

 

[Doc Mark]

I love this intricate style of carving. I just ordered the book and can't wait to see it

 

[Gargoyle]

Holy cannoli!!! The people who designed and sculpted these memorials were skilled beyond belief. I must ask, were the memorials designed by people other than the craftsmen who sculpted them? Was there a division of labor on such projects whereby some carvers specialized in architectural elements, some on ornamentation and some on the figures or were all the carvers equally skilled on all?

Yes, in many cases 7 or 8 different people worked on these memorials, and sometimes more. I describe the specialties in the book. A carver might spend 10 or 15 years just perfecting his skills at drapery, or at carving foliage. That aspect hasn't received more than the most cursory passing mention in any other book I've seen. Other books on the subject of marble carving have been written either from the art history or the sculptors viewpoint, and didn't incorporated the viewpoint of the carvers, the craftsmen and artisans. Since the division of labor has also been a cultural division, the carvers voice has only been expressed through the chisel, and not through the pen.