There sculpture It is one of the oldest art forms, as we all know. But from the point of view technician, How is a marble statue made? To find out, we went to Naples to the studios of Iagoone of the most famous contemporary Italian artists and sculptors in the world, to witness the creation of the David, a statue in Carrara marble which, once completed, will be tall more than 4 metersConceptually, to make a marble statue you need to follow five fundamental steps:
- sketch;
- model;
- cut;
- sculpture;
- finishes.
Sketch and model
The sketch it is nothing more than a preparatory drawing that allows the artist to visualize the work once finished. From this we move directly to the second step, that is the clay model. To achieve this, ametal frame, around which theclay, and then we proceed with a castThis cast will be necessary to make the first plaster model. Of course, it is not enough to create a single model: Jago has created different to better study the subject and have a three-dimensional vision of the final work. The largest model is more than 4 meters high and is used for take measurements and transfer them to the block of marble during the cutting and sculpting phases.
Cutting and sculpture
The phase of cut consists of the remove the bulk of the marble to begin to glimpse a sketched figureTo take measurements correctly, use a pantographthat is, a tool equipped with an awl that is used to bring back the proportions of the plaster model to the marble block. The artist thus finds himself with a series of points which, once connected to each other through carving, allow the shapes of the model to be replicated on the marble.
This phase is carried out through pneumatic hammers And grinders, so as to remove most of the marble and be able to move on to the actual sculpture. In this phase we work with greater precision to bring out the details. You can use either the pneumatic hammer or various chisels, just like the great masters did in the past.
Finishes
The last step – but not least – is that of the finishes, where precision tools are used to make details And texture, so as to make the statues appear “alive” and extremely expressive.
