Antonio Giovanni Lanzirotti
(1839-1921)
Antonio Giovanni Lanzirotti was a 19th-century Italian sculptor best known for his naturalistic bronze figures, classical compositions, and portrait busts. Born in Palermo, Sicily in 1839, Lanzirotti trained in Italy before relocating to Paris to study under renowned Italian sculptor Joseph Michel Ange Pollet (1814-1870). His early success came with The Education of Bacchus, exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1855.
Lanzirotti’s career developed across Italy and France, with major commissions in Turin and Paris. In 1863, he was selected by King Vittorio Emanuele II to produce public sculptures of the Conte Verde and Duke Vittorio Amedeo I, cementing his position among the most respected Italian sculptors of the period. His works La Pensieroso and La Schiavawere sent to Paris, the latter later acquired by the Museum of Nice.
Close up of a BRONZE FIGURE BY LANZIROTTI DEPICTING A GIRL AND HER DOG available in our BRONZE SCULPTURE COLLECTION at Jacksons antique
A strong supporter of Sicilian independence, Lanzirotti joined the Garibaldian movement in 1860 and served under General Ignazio Ribotti. He was captured and imprisoned at Gaeta before resuming his artistic career in Paris, where he completed notable works including Amore Punito, La Danza, the Mausoleum of Count Tyzhieviez, Il Piacere, La Follia, and a celebrated Bather exhibited at the Salon.
Lanzirotti also specialised in portraiture, producing bronze and marble busts of influential figures such as Dr Armand Trousseau, writer Pierre Beaumarchais, King Umberto I of Italy, and journalist M. Girardin. His refined modelling and expressive detail earned him international acclaim.
Close up of the LANZIROTTI SIGNATURE ON A BRONZE available from our BRONZE SCULPTURE collection at Jacksons antique
Over the course of his career, Lanzirotti was honoured by numerous institutions. He was inducted into the Order of the Crown of Italy, the Order of Isabel the Catholic, and received the Cross of Knights of Saints Maurizio and Lazzaro. His work reflects the cultural dialogue between Italy and France during the 19th century and remains sought after by collectors of academic European sculpture.