69 - AMEDEO GENNARELLI (Naples, 1881–Paris, 1966).

AMEDEO GENNARELLI (Naples, 1881–Paris, 1966). “Stretched Youth.” Terracotta. Signed. Measurements: 20 x 81 x 16 cm. Exhibitions: “20th-Century European Sculpture,” European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM), Barcelona, 2014. Amedeo Gennarelli presents us with a terracotta sculpture that is fully in line with the Art Deco movement, an artistic style that emerged in 1920 and whose influence continued into the mid-20th century in some countries. It sought to renew all artistic disciplines, championing the value of the technological advancements of the era and the emerging sciences of the time. Although Amedeo Gennarelli was born in Naples, he soon moved to Paris, where he remained active and gained international recognition, particularly through his participation in the Salon des Artistes Français, where he exhibited from 1913 to 1936. He was a student of Francesco Jerace, a painter and sculptor from Naples, and drew inspiration from Rodin’s sculpture. Gennarelli was known for his beautiful female nudes, which he created using various materials—marble, terracotta, and bronze—as well as for his Art Deco-style bronzes with a Symbolist flair, in which he specialized in the use of sfumato. During his lifetime, he received numerous medals and honors.