Metamorfosi

Metamorfosi is a bronze stele by Pericle Fazzini in Grottammare, developed from a model for an unrealised monument to John F. Kennedy.

Why it matters

The sculpture connects Fazzini's work with the history of public memorials in the 1960s. Rather than becoming a monument to Kennedy, the model became an independent work that the artist titled Metamorfosi and donated to his birthplace.

What to notice

The tall bronze form is split vertically, creating a void through the centre. On its western side a profile of John F. Kennedy is incorporated into the sculptural form. The open structure and unfinished modelling retain qualities of a working sculptural study.

Context and history

Fazzini developed the work as a model for a proposed Kennedy monument that was never realised. He reworked it as an autonomous sculpture titled Metamorfosi and donated it to Grottammare in 1984. Fazzini was born in the town in 1913 and later became known for major public works, including the Resurrezione for the Vatican.