Narcissus (1886)

Signed on the right base: “Napoli 1886 – Gemito”

Stamp: Artistic property 82

The work was first presented at the Universal Exhibition in Antwerp in 1885 and is described in the catalogue as a “Restoration of the statuette from the Museum of Naples”¹. It is in fact a copy of a small bronze from the 1st century AD, found in Pompeii in 1862 and considered at the time to be a portrait of Narcissus.

However, today’s critics are more inclined to argue that it is Dionysus, as demonstrated by the iconographic attributes of the head encircled by a vine entwined with grapes, the nebride descending from the left shoulder and clinging to the arm, and the high boots on the feet². In both the original and Gemitina’s version, the iconography is incomplete, given the absence of the thyrsus in the left hand and the kantharos in the right; this would suggest that the bronze could depict a Bacchante rather than Dionysus himself.

Considering that the original came to us through an excavation conducted with methods and criteria that are not well documented, the missing iconographic attributes may have been lost during the recovery phase or in ancient times.

Before creating the bronze, Gemito devoted particular attention to studying the original, visiting the Archaeological Museum of Naples in person, as demonstrated by a blue pastel drawing on grey paper, published by B. Mantura in 1989, which the scholar dates to 1885 or shortly before.

In the drawing, the ancient original is faithfully reproduced from the left side, focusing on the anatomical proportions and posture, without dwelling on details. In order to create the plaster cast for the mould, the sculptor had to work in the presence of the original. To date, information on the preparatory phase of the model and waxes is scarce, but we know that Gemito waited for it in June 1885³ and most likely worked at the Archaeological Museum of Naples so that he could have the original at his disposal. This is not surprising, but confirms a recurring modus operandi of the sculptor who, probably starting with his work on Narcissus, was accustomed to attempting to recreate ancient statues, adding exquisite details and subtle interpretations. The best-known case is that of Psyche, formerly in the Minozzi collection and now in Capodimonte, where the artist recreates the head of Psyche of Capua, which is missing its skull, and reinterprets it by adding “a hairstyle with soft waves divided in the centre of the head and gathered at the nape of the neck”⁴. In particular, during his careful study of the original Narcissus, Gemito noticed a small anatomical error, barely noticeable at the junction between the arm and the left forearm, and then corrected it in his work.

Beyond the formal point of view, the work on Narcissus represented for Gemito the first moment of rethinking and reworking his youthful models, characterised by a marked “street realism”, towards that metamorphosis which, starting in the first decade of the 20th century, would make them akin to minor deities. In fact, Giovanni Artieri defines the young ephebic body of Narcissus as the “Greek brother of the Water Carrier”⁵, ideally placing this work, taken from ancient statuary, halfway between the Water Carrier of 1881 and The Spring of 1908; where the Neapolitan “scugnizzo” gives way to the body of a young hero of classical inspiration. Compared to the original, Gemito’s Narcissus has a softer shape, over which the light flows gently and produces more realistic effects. In this way, the sculptor returns to his early naturalistic production, even though he is now focused on reviving forms from antiquity.

The work was designed to be replicated several times; each of the copies produced by Gemito, executed with almost maniacal skill in both casting and chiselling, was numbered and, in some cases, accompanied by a dedication to the client or recipient. The inscriptions are always placed on the base of the sculpture and appear to have been made directly in the wax shortly before casting.

In particular, in the work in question, the artist’s signature appears on the wax, where the smudges deliberately left by the chiselling can be appreciated, along with the hallmark of the Gemito Foundry (Fonderia Gemito Napoli), the inscription in italics “Napoli 1886” and the words in capital letters “PROPRIETA” ARTISTICA N. 82′ (ARTISTIC PROPERTY No. 82).

To date, the original number of casts of Narciso made by Gemito is unknown, but the period of production can be narrowed down to 1886, the last year of activity of the Gemito-De Mesnil Foundry. In all likelihood, the numbers on the works do not correspond to the sculptures actually completed by the artist through his meticulous chiselling work and, therefore, actually released by his foundry. It should also be borne in mind that the foundry was hastily closed due to the sculptor’s well-known psychiatric problems and many works remained incomplete. In fact, apart from the Narcissus under consideration, only eight other examples are currently known to critics:

• The first known example was made for the wealthy Swiss industrialist C. Schlaepfer (now in the Lamberti private collection) with a dedication and the number 24;
• Another example, exhibited several times (Naples-Caserta 1997-1998, 34, no. 15. 58; Spoleto 1989, p. 125, no. 137,

Naples 2009, p. 181; Naples 2020, p. 194) was made for Prince Pignatelli (now in the Intesa Sanpaolo collection, Museo D. Aragona Pignatelli Cortes, Naples) with a dedication and the number 67.

• Two examples already in the Minozzi Collection (now in the Museum and Royal Forest of Capodimonte, Naples) without dedication (De Marinis 1993 no. 170), one of the two works shows a singularity compared to all the others known; the pudenda have been covered by a fig leaf
• One copy formerly in the Consolazio Collection, now in a private collection (Consolazio 1951 plate 55).
• One copy at the Royal Palace of Naples.
• One copy at the Galleria Comunale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome (GCAMC 2004, II, p. 345, no. 689).
• One example recorded at Pandolfini Casa d’Aste, with the dedication “Executed for His Lordship the Marquis G. Curtopassi” and number 37

¹ Giannelli 1916, p. 598

² Mantura 1989, p. 125

³ Romano 2020, p. 209 (in Champion)

⁴ Pagano 2009, p. 186 cat. 66a

⁵ Artieri 1928, p. 65

Giancarlo Brocca