I primi pensieri di Pompeo Marchesi per il monumento a Cesare Beccaria

Abstract

Three interesting drawings by the sculptor Pompeo Marchesi (1783‑1858), which are kept at the Castello Sforzesco in Milan, have been recently discovered within the framework of a comprehensive investigation of the artist’s graphic production. In these sheets the sculptor sketched out the first ideas for the colossal monument to Cesare Beccaria located on the grand staircase of the Brera Palace in 1837. The discovery of these sketches made it possible to retrace the development of the statue’s design pointing out Marchesi’s allusions to and influences on ancient statuary as well as the art of Canova and Thorvaldsen.

Keywords

• Brera. Cesare Beccaria. Drawing. Iconography. Pompeo Marchesi. Sculpture