La Partigiana Veneta
La Partigiana, by Augusto Murer. The original statue, by Leoncillo Leonardi, (in the Giardini Pubblici) was destroyed by a fascist bomb in 1961, four years after its installation. This was installed in 1964 on a setting designed by Carlo Scarpa. It was supposed to float, but the mechanism failed after a few months. The area had been under restoration for a long time. It was re-opened on 6 June 2009.
posted by Bert at 12:31 AM
15 Comments:
An excellent photograph of a most evocative work. Thank you, Bert!
I saw this for the first time in October. She's so lovely, so sad, so thought-provoking. Thanks for sharing.
Barb in Minnesota
Thank you Bert, both for the photo and the background information. That architect, Scarpa, is well represented in Venice, apparently.
Your image raised a question, your comment answered it. Thank you for this post.
It's especially striking when first you glimpse it from the water - for a moment you really wonder what's happening - and then you realise it's a sculpture. Thanks for reminding us of this interesting image.
'La Partigiana' has had a somewhat chequered history. In full 'Monumento alla Partigiana Veneta', designed by Carlo Scarpa (1906-78), bronze statue by Augusto Murer (1922-85). Scarpa's original design for the base of 1969 had the monument floating. The original monument (1956), by Leonardi Leoncillo (1915-68) [completely different], inaugurated 7 September 1957, was blown up by a fascist bomb on the night of 27 July 1961 [I don't suppose the bomb had any political allegiance, but I'm only copying what I've read]. A competition was held in 1964 for a replacement. Murer won and his statue was inaugurated in 1969.
Fragments of the original statue were unexpectedly discovered in 2006, apparently buried near the greenhouse of the Gardens [I didn't know there was a greenhouse.] The original statue was an upright figure in maiolica. There were two versions, one with a red neckerchief (which caused ructions) now in a storeroom in Ca' Pesaro, and one with a brown neckerchief (more neutral) which was erected in the Gardens. This was also on a base designed by Scarpa, but it was in the Gardens. This was found in 2003.
You must have zoomed in a bit for this great shot, Bert. Is she completely submerged when the aqua is alta?
Very striking sculpture
Alexa, I tried to get a photo of this for about two years running, but it was backed by those ugly corrugated sheets that hold the water back, so I didn't take a photo. (I was on film in those days, so I could not afford to waste a shot.) As ever, there was no sign of any work actually going on.
I never saw it submerged, but I guess it must have been covered by water at high tide, since my information said that it stopped floating as it was supposed to. I must have been just lucky to be seeing it at low tide, or, at least, not at high tide.
Now that it has been restored, I would hope that the base is floating again, so it should always look like this. [The photo was taken in September 2009.]
Bert, I think that the base is not floating, so the statue is submerged when the tides are higher.
Cheers
Peter_S_Aus
It's truly a beautiful photo. Thanks for sharing the history.
Thanks so much for the background on this statue. I walk past it nearly every day and had no idea it was ever meant to float. That it doesn't seems to me to be a fortunate failure.
In fact I find the piece most moving when the tide is high and waves threaten to engulf the figure completely. Then it seems like an especially poignant evocation of those women whom time and the tide of history would obscure from recognition and memory.
That they are not lost is up to us, the viewers, and the attention and imagination we bring to the work of seeing them whole.
Steven
veneziablog.blogspot.com
I didn't get it straight away. Sis Non lo so! :-)
I've had a look at your blog now. Brilliant, I love it. (I hope you return to this blog, to read this, and other things).
A very nice photo of one of my favorite works of art around town. I have seen the sculpture bathed in higher tide than is depicted in the photo. The impression was very powerful, as if the figure had just been washed ashore.
Bert:
I have been returning to this blog of yours and Pierre's on pretty much a daily basis ever since I discovered it a little over a year ago! It is at the top of my Firefox "Favorites" list as, at first, it kept me in touch with a city I missed; then, became an inspiration to make a move to that city; and now, after having made the move, continues to inform & inspire & show me sights I can now fortunately track down in person.
Grazie mille for it!
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