Emilio Greco is an Italian sculptor and illustrator (Catania 1913-1995). After attending the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo, in 1943 he moved to Rome. Initially influenced by the art of A. Martini and M. Marini, from 1950 he chose the sculpture of P. Fazzini as a constant reference point. His turned and polished female nudes reflect an ideal of beauty that leads back to the archaizing mannerism of the school of Fontainebleau (Bather, 1956, Rome, National Gallery of Modern Art). We owe him the monument to Pinocchio, erected in Collodi in 1954, the reliefs of three bronze doors of the cathedral of Orvieto (1961-64) and the monument to Giovanni XXIII (1965-67; Rome, S. Pietro). He also made medals and stamps for the Vatican and San Marino. The Hakone open-air museum has dedicated a permanent area to him, the Greco Garden, and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg a personal room. Since 1991, the Soliano palace in Orvieto has housed a permanent exhibition of his works, donated by the artist himself to the city (Greek Museum).
