Gaddo

myminifactory

A revised model is on its way soon! Gaddo, a masterpiece sculpted by Italian artist Torquato Della Torre (1827-1855), was born in Verona and transformed into stunning marble in 1852. This iconic work has been incredibly successful since its inception, unlike his provocative piece Orgia (also featured on Scan the World). Depicted here is Gaddo della Gherardesca, a character from Dante's works, lying lifeless on the wooden floor of a prison where his father Ugolina and his brother, along with their nephews, succumbed to starvation. Della Torre had designed this sculpture the previous year, crafting an initial plaster cast in Florence (now lost), the city that offered him refuge after he fled Milan and the tumultuous uprisings he had participated in. It's very likely that the intensity of this figure is partly due to the artist's own intense emotions experienced during the violent days in Milan.