When it comes to Italian modern sculptors, Giacomo Manzu (December 1908-January 1991) is renown.
He was self-taught and was commissioned by architect Giovanni Muzio for the decoration of the chapel of Universita Cattolica del Caro Cuore but his popularity is from his work at the Triennale di Milano.
He is also known for his bronze door work, “Door of the Dead”, which was sculpted between 1961-1964 and despite being atheist, he was commissioned by Pope John XXIII at the leftmost side of the narthex of St. Petere’s Basilica in the Vatican City and often passed through during the exits for funeral processions.
His work can be seen all over the world, in the US, his work “Nymph and Faun” can be found at Wayne State University in Detroit at the McGreegor Memorial Sculpture Garden and also in Detroit, he was commissioned by architect Yamasaki Minoru for the Passo di Danza (dance step) sculpture at the One Woodward Avenue building.
But when you delve deeper into Giacomo Manzu’s sculptures, you are also drawn closely to his muse and life partner, Inge Schabel, who was his model for many of his works.
Among the series of bronze sculptures which he has created is “Striptease”. There are numerous private owners who own a sculpture from the series (the Smithsonian Art Museum in Odessa, Texas and the Hakone Open Air Museum in Japan has one of his impressive sculptures, “Grand Striptease”) but I went to visit the late Matsuoka Seijiro’s collection at the Matsuoka Art Museum in Shimbashi.
While sculptures were made, as early as 1961, there are some that were created decades later. Numerous in different sizes. In fact, Sotheby’s has a “Striptease” that was cast in 1965 and 24 3/4 inches and is going for about $21,000+.
The bronze sculpture featured at the Matsuoka Art Museum was made in 1981 and what I found interesting about this certain sculpture is that many other sculptures of “Striptease”, they are a woman fully clothed.
Granted, a few may show her lifting her dress to show her knees and thighs, another where she lowers her robe to show off her shoulders and cleavage. So, it’s a really rare Manzu scultpure to see in this series, as Manzu has done nude sculptures such as the Testa di donna (1953).
I don’t think I’ve seen anything similar to it anywhere in the world.
But it’s no doubt a great acquired sculpture by the latest Matsuoka Seijiro and one can see it at the Matsuoka Art Museum!
