Sirio Tofanari

E. Horswell, Sculpture of Les Animaliers 1900-1950, Sladmore Gallery, London, 2019, p. 322

Sirio Tofanari was a self-taught sculptor who forged a remarkable career in the depiction of rare and exotic animals. He spent some time in London, where he took the opportunity to study the animals at the Natural History Museum. Whilst he mainly exhibited in Italy, his career brought him to a multitude of cities, including Milan, London, Paris, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. A number of Tofanari's models are housed in the collection of the Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Florence.

Although undoubtedly influenced by the animalier sculptors of the 19th century, Tofanari approached his subject matter from a more modernist, elegantly stylised, background; his bronzes were described by Vicario as 'deliziosi'. This enchanting and affectionate group of a family of eland epitomises one of Tofanari's specialisms: playful groups of animals and their young. 

RELATED LITERATURE
V. Vicario, Gli Scultori Italiani dal Neoclassicismo al Liberty, Lodi, 1994, pp. 1037-8; A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli scultori italiana dell'ottocento e del primo novecento, vol. 2, Turin, 2003, p. 905; E. Horswell, Sculpture of Les Animaliers 1900-1950, Sladmore Gallery, London, 2019, pp. 316-318