Attilio Piccirilli

Attilio Piccirilli (1866-1945) was an Italian expatriate sculptor closely associated with the Beaux-Arts tradition in America, whose talents made him one of the most respected figural sculptors of his adopted country. Born in the town of Massa di Carrara, near Pisa, he was one of six sons, all of whom became sculptors, of Giuseppe Piccirilli, himself a renowned marble worker. Growing up within an unusually gifted artistic family gave Piccirilli both a working knowledge of the marble craft and a firsthand understanding of the great Italian sculptural tradition that no formal education could have provided. After demonstrating his artistic ability during his boyhood, he entered the Accademia di San Luca in Rome at the age of fourteen and completed his training five years later in 1885, subsequently joining his father and brothers in the family business.

In 1888 Piccirilli emigrated to the United States and settled in New York. The rest of his family soon followed, and the famed Piccirilli Studios was quickly established in a converted stable at Sixth Avenue and Thirty-Ninth Street. As one of the first American establishments to import expensive marbles from Italy, this workshop began carving finished versions of many of the works designed by America's leading sculptors, including Daniel Chester French and Herbert Adams. The Piccirilli Studios proved so successful that the family relocated to a much larger facility in the Bronx to accommodate the growing demand for their services.

Of the numerous Piccirilli sons, Attilio was the first to build a substantial reputation as a creative sculptor in his own right, having sharpened his skills by helping to enlarge the models of other prominent American artists. By the late 1890s he was producing his own original designs in a style noted for its discipline, simplicity, dignity, and refreshing idealism. His first major commission, the statue of McDonough for New Orleans, was followed by important projects including the Maine Monument at the southwest corner of Central Park in New York, along with architectural sculptures such as the figures of Indian Literature and Indian Law Giver for the Brooklyn Museum. He also produced a pedimental composition for the Wisconsin State Capitol and several lunettes for the Frick Mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York. During the 1930s his academically inspired designs became particularly popular with both his fellow sculptors and patrons of conservative taste.

Piccirilli died in New York City in 1945. Throughout his career he played an active role in local and national art life, holding memberships in the National Academy of Design, the National Sculpture Society, and the Architectural League. His work brought him numerous awards and honors, including a gold medal at the Panama-Pacific Exhibition in San Francisco.