Mario Raggi (1821–26 November 1907) was an Italian sculptor who settled in England where he received several public commissions for statues of civic figures.

Biography

Raggi was born at Carrara, Italy where he learnt to sculpt, and won several prizes, at the local Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara. He continued his training in Rome under

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before moving to London in 1850 where he first worked for

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and then, for several years, for Matthew Noble. In 1875 Raggi established his own studio in London. Raggi was given some major commissions including memorials to

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation o ...

at Parliament Square and

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for Albert Square, Manchester. He completed three monumental statues of Queen Victoria for Hong Kong, Toronto and Kimberley in South Africa. A bronze statue by Raggi of

Henry Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea Henry Hussey Vivian, 1st Baron Swansea (6 July 1821 – 28 November 1894), known between May 1882 and June 1893 as Sir Hussey Vivian, 1st Baronet, was a Welsh industrialist and politician from the Vivian family. Biography Born at Single ...

wearing a frock coat and gown stands in

Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...

city centre. Raggi first exhibited a work, ''Innocence'' at the

Royal Academy The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its pur ...

in 1854 but did not show there again until 1878 when he exhibited a portrait bust of Admiral Rous. He continued to exhibit portrait busts at the Academy until 1895. Raggi is buried at West Norwood Cemetery, where his memorial is a flat slab.

Selected works

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raggi, Mario 1821 births 1907 deaths 19th-century Italian male artists 19th-century Italian sculptors Burials at West Norwood Cemetery Italian emigrants to the United Kingdom Italian male sculptors People from Carrara