Francesco Buonapace Bronze Fawn, 1930s

Francesco Buonapace Bronze Deer circa 1930 in good condition, signed near the animal’s left hind leg. Francesco Buonapace (Lecce 1902- Bologna 1975) attended the Royal Art School of the Salento capital where he was a pupil of the Tuscan sculptor Almo Mercanti. Later he went first to Milan then to Florence where he trained at the Academy of Fine Arts with Domenico Trentacoste.

He completed his artistic studies in Monza, where he went in 1923 after winning an important scholarship. An artist strongly influenced by the style and shape of Greek and Roman statues, he was appreciated by the exponents of the Fascist party, and received important commissions at the time of the Mussolini regime.
Moderately influenced by the various schools of the first half of the 20th century, he created original works in bronze, terracotta, plaster and marble, mostly busts and portraits of well-known figures. Numerous bas-reliefs and animal figures.
His drawings are also very interesting.
Buonapace has participated in important Italian exhibitions: from the Lecce Biennials to the Milanese and Tuscan ones, obtaining important recognition.
Worthy of note among his numerous works is the one that is part of the decoration of the Palazzo degli Uffici Finanziari in Bari, the imposing and elegant statue of the “Fisherman”.