Giacomo Manzù

Giacomo Manzù (december 22, 1908 - January 17 [Some sources say he died on 18 January] , 1991) was the best known Italian sculptor of the 20th century. He was recognized by Western museums and collectors as an important modern artist, while, as a Communist, he was celebrated by the Soviet art world as well. Yet he was also a Roman Catholic, a personal friend of Pope John XXIII, and he had important liturgical commissions in St. Peter's itself. In the United States, architect Minoru Yamasaki commissioned him as the sculptor for the "Passo di Danza" (step of dance) at the One Woodward Avenue building in Detroit, Michigan.Zacharias, Pat (September 5, 1999). [http://info.detnews.com/redesign/history/story/historytemplate.cfm?id=165 Monuments of Detroit] Michigan History, "Detroit News". Retrieved on November 21, 2007.] He also carved the "Nymph and Faun" at Wayne State University's McGreagor Memorial sculpture garden in Detroit.

He was the son of a shoemaker, and other than a few evening art classes, was self-taught in sculpture, although he later became a professor himself.

Giacomo Manzù was awarded Lenin Peace Prize for the year 1965.

He was the subject of a famous photographic portrait by Yousuf Karsh.

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External links

* [http://www.ilovefiguresculpture.com/masters/manzu/manzu.html Masters of 20th Century Figure Sculpture]
* [http://www.saintpetersbasilica.org/Interior/DoorofDeath/DoorofDeath.htm Door of Death in St Peter's]