Ritratto di Mario Rivosecchi

A bronze portrait in Grottammare commemorates the poet and art historian Mario Rivosecchi, whose recognition of Pericle Fazzini's talent helped the young sculptor enter Rome's cultural circles.

Why it matters

Rivosecchi recognised Fazzini's talent when he was young and helped introduce him to cultural circles in Rome. The portrait commemorates their relationship and Rivosecchi's role in Fazzini's early career.

What to notice

• Fazzini models Rivosecchi's face with the same plastic freedom he brought to figure sculpture, in an intimate portrait format.
• Rivosecchi's description as "poeta e storico dell'arte" links his work as a poet with his writing on art.
• The portrait's intimate scale differs from Fazzini's larger public works.

Context and history

Pericle Fazzini was born in Grottammare in 1913 into a family of carpenters. He learned wood carving in the family workshop and left for Rome in 1930 to study. He won the sculpture prize at the 1954 Venice Biennale and created the Resurrezione for the Paul VI Audience Hall, inaugurated in 1977. According to the municipal account, Rivosecchi recognised Fazzini's talent while he was still a boy, helped introduce him to Roman cultural circles and followed his early work. The town commemorated their bond with this portrait, linking Grottammare with Fazzini's career in Rome and his later public commissions.