THE IDEAL BEAUTY Antoni Solà (1780-1861), sculptor in Rome
Antoni Solà (Barcelona, 1780- Rome, 1861) was one of the most prestigious artists of his times. Living on a stipend in Rome since 1803, he stayed there permanently and was one of only two foreigners to hold the presidency of the San Luca Academy, the main hub of neoclassical art. He took part in the main cultural affairs of Rome and upheld imitation of the Greeks and the quest for the ideal beauty, which is visible in his sculptures, academic speeches and lessons addressed to his disciples. Many of his monuments and works decorate palaces, churches and squares in Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Havana, Bologna and Mexico. Buried in the Eternal City, the new aesthetic patterns and the passage of time relegated him to oblivion. A century and a half later, this is the first exhibition that aims to do justice to one of the great neoclassical sculptors.