Ignazio Villa

Ignazio Villa (Milan, 1813 – Rome, 1895) was an Italian sculptor of mainly mythologic and sacred scenes, as well as portraits.

He painted near life size historical or mythologic tableaux. For example, he painted a 3/4 size group representing Diomede che precipita Pantasilea nello Scamandro. Among other works are the Toilette of Venus, and the statue semicolossale depicting: Archimedes Burning the Ships of Marcellus with Concave Mirrors exhibited in 1872 at Milan, along with La sera che indica ai popoli il riposo, il silenzio e la calma. In 1884 at Turin, he exhibited an equestrian group, depicting: Una lotta; and a marble statue: The discovery of Archimedes. Other works of Villa are: L'Aurora che sveglia i popoli dal sonno; Hagar heals Samuel, and other statues of biblical and mythologic themes. he was made a knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy and Academic of Merit by many academies and institutes of art in Italy.[1]

A neogothic house apparently designed by him in central Florence was Palazzo Villa on Via Il Prato 22 corner via Santa Lucia.[2] His grandson, Mario Sironi, (1885-1961) was an artist.

References

  1. ^ "Dizionario degli Artisti Italiani Viventi: pittori, scultori, e Architetti.", by Angelo de Gubernatis. Tipe dei Successori Le Monnier, 1889, page 548.
  2. ^ Firenze capitale (1865-1870): dagli appunti di un ex-cronista (1904), by Ugo Pesci, page 13. The neogothic building is now Hotel Albion.