John Gibson talk at Keats Shelley

Portrait of Gibson by Margaret Sarah Carpenter

ROME – A presentation on the Welsh sculptor will be delivered by specialist Dr Roberto Ferrari.

Entitled From Mars and Cupid  to the Tinted Venus: The Sculptor John Gibson and His Studio in Rome, the talk will take place at 5pm on Thursday 23 April at the Keats Shelley House.

Born near Conwy, Wales, in 1790, Gibson studied in Rome under Venetian neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova. Throughout his artistic career, he became notable for his application of the Ancient Greek practice of tinting marble sculptures; arguably the best example of this is his Tinted Venus, which was completed between 1851 and 1855. Gibson was elected a member the Royal Academy of Arts in the 1830s, and a great deal of his work is currently housed in the Academy’s Burlington House, in Piccadilly, London. The artist died in Rome in 1866 and was buried in the city’s Protestant Cemetery, where a  number of notable historical figures were laid to rest, including both Keats and Shelley.

The talk will be delivered by Dr Roberto Ferrari, who holds a PhD in Art History and specialises in 19th century British painting and sculpture. Ferrari is currently the Curator of Art Properties at Columbia University, New York and also has experience of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has also taught art history at Drew University, New Jersey, and Marymount Manhattan College.

Standard admission fees apply and advance booking is recommended as the number of seats is limited. To book, call 06 678 42 35 or email info@ksh.roma.it

Gibson's Tinted Venus