Amedeo Gennarelli in Bronze Shop

Amedeo Gennarelli worked as an artist and sculptor of the epoch of Art Deco and was born in 1881 in Naples. This beautiful place in the mid-east of Italy is after Rome and Milan the third most populous city of the country. The name of Naples means “néa pólis” (new city). Naples has a long and eventful history that is characterized by foreign rule and oppression. Especially in museums or sights this varied history becomes perceptible.

For example the castle Castel dell’Ovo dates back to 5th century, and the castle Castel Nuovo served several kings as fortress and royal seat. Also different monasteries and churches and their representatives of the Curia controlled the fate of the city. Examples for this are the Naples Cathedral (Cattedrale di San Gennaro), the monastery Santa Chiara and the monastery church San Lorenzo Maggiore. Such a historic city of course was the starting point for numerous artists, among them for the painter Giuseppe Abbati (* January 13, 1836 in Naples; † February 21, 1868 in Florence), for the sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini (* December 7, 1598 in Naples; † November 28, 1680 in Rome) and for the sculptor Achille D’Orsi (* August 6, 1845 in Naples; † February 8, 1929 ibid.).

Also Gennarelli made his first steps for an artistic career in the amazing city Naples. But later he moved to Paris in France to continue his education and to devote himself to the trends of Modern Art, developing at the turn of the century. Paris was the ideal starting point to pay attention to the avant-garde art and artists.

A lot of artists, painters, sculptors and graphic artists visited the city at the river Seine to take part in the development of the new arts. Amedeo Gennarelli increasingly dedicated himself to the Art Deco and already exhibited his first works in the Salon of the Société des Artistes Français in 1913.

The Société was a professional association of French painters and sculptors and was founded in 1881 in Paris, presenting still today the works of its artist in an annual salon. When the first president of the association, the painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau (* November 30, 1825 in La Rochelle; † August 19, 1905 ibid.), suggested in 1890 to dedicate the Salon young and unknown artists, a disagreement with the established artists, such as Auguste Rodin (* November 12, 1840 in Paris; † November 17, 1917 in Meudon) and Pierre Puvis de Chavannes (* December 14, 1824 in Lyon; † October 24, 1898 in Paris), started. The older artists founded their own Salon, exhibiting their own works.

The very aesthetic sculptures of Amedeo Gennarelli are designed in the style of Art Deco. The distinguished marks of this epoch, that arose at the beginning of the 20th century, are varied and multi-form, because they were influenced by many different artistic trends. But especially geometric forms, pithy and extensive ornaments and floral motifs were used.

Gennarelli made these themes into erotic and athletic sculptures, as we can see for example at the sculptures “The Carrier Pigeon” and “Towards Destiny”. The Italian-French artist died in 1943 at the age of 62.