Giovanni Fontana
Born 1821 (Circa)
Died 25 November 1893
Active: 1852 - 1893
Country of birth: Italy
Country of death: England
Sculptor
Born in Italy, was a naturalized British subject by 1871. His works included the statue of Robert Graves MP for Liverpool, for St. George's Hall [Art journal, 1839-1912 (Feb 1876), pp. 61-62 and Art journal, 1839-1912 (Sep 1875), p. 287.]
Wealth at death: £287 11s. 0d.
Probate date: 20 March 1894
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
Locations
Address 40 Cleveland Street London | View on map
1852 (Circa) - 1856 (Circa)
Address 17 Lower Belgrave Place Pimlico London | View on map
1857 (Circa) - 1862 (Circa)
Address 217 King's Road Chelsea London | View on map
1865 (Circa) - 1868 (Circa)
Appears also to have been his home address judging by Census Returns, 1871
Address 25 Glebe Place Chelsea London | View on map
1874 (Circa) - 1890 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The International Exhibition, London, 1862
'Cupid captured by Venus'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
Multiple works
Exhibited at International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures, Dublin, 1865
p. 103, no. 55. 'Young David playing on the harp' (marble).
p. 105, no. 97. 'Girl Smelling a Rose' - marble.
p. 107, no. 128. 'Innocence (marble)'.
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts (Summer Exhibition), 1768-
1852 - 1886
Exhibited 17 times, twenty-two works in all (chiefly marble busts but also some ideal works).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the first (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1871
1871
Bust of a Lady (cat. no. 900, marble, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the second (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1872
1871
Young David Singing and Playing the Harp (cat. no. 945, life-size marble statue, £300); La Sonnambula (cat. no. 946, life-size plaster figure, price in marble £350); Coquetry (cat. no. 947, marble bust, £45); English Roses (cat. no. 948, marble bust, £45).
Exhibited at Dublin Exhibition of Arts, Industries and Manufactures (and Loan Museum of Works of Art), 1872
1872
Fine Arts, Sculpture.
p. 81, no. 55. 'Industry'.
Loaned by Sir A.E. Guinness, Bart.
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the third (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1873
1873
The late S. R. Graves, Esq., MP (cat. no. 1045, bronze design of statue to be executed in marble and placed in St George's Hall, Liverpool, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the fifth (Free Public Library and Museum, Liverpool), 1875
1875
Innocence (cat. no. 1079, marble, £25); Hope (cat. no. 1090, terracotta, £20); Madonna (cat. no. 1093, marble, £40); The Young Architect (cat. no. 1095, marble statuette, £55); Charles Dickens, Esq. (cat. no. 1106, plaster bust, not for sale).
Exhibited at Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the seventh (Liverpool), 1877
1877
La Prigioniera D'Amore (cat. no. 1293, marble, £350); Baffled (cat. no. 1307, not for sale).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the eighth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1878
1878
A Medallion Portrait in marble of Eliza Meteyard, Authoress of Life of Wedgwood, &c. (cat. no. 1034, not for sale); A Medallion Portrait in marble of Thomas Spencer, FCS, FRMS, &c., discoverer of Electro-Metal-lurgy (Electrotype) at Liverpool in 1837 (cat. no. 1035, not for sale); Maria, SS (cat. no. 1037, £22 1s); Romeo (cat. no. 1039, high relief in marble, £150); La Concezione (cat. no. 1040, £22 1s.; Il Salvatore (cat. no. 1041, £22 1s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures: the eleventh (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1881
1881
La Fedelta (cat. no. 1413, £262 10s.).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1893
1893
Preparing for Bed (cat. no. 1241, marble statuette, £115).
Exhibited at Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-eighth (Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool), 1898
1898
Jephthah and his Daughter (cat. no. 1408, marble group, not for sale, exhibited posthumously).
Personal and Professional Connections
Related to Annibale Fontana
Presume related, certainly listed at same address c.1860
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1860 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
p. 1803
Listed under Sculptors Post Office London Directory, 1890 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1890
p.1997
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
'Sculptor'
Occupation given in Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
'Sculptor'
Sources
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-eighth, 1898 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1898
pp. 45-48.
Autumn exhibition of modern pictures in oil and water-colours: the twenty-third, 1893 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1893
pp. 42-45.
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1871
2004
Class: RG10; Piece: 74; Folio: 78; Page: 19; GSU roll: 824580
Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881
2004
Class: RG11; Piece: 76; Folio: 113; Page: 19; GSU roll: 1341017
England & Wales, FreeBMD Death Index, 1837-1915
2006
Name: Giovanni Guiseppe Fontana;
Estimated birth year: abt 1821;
Year of Registration: 1893;
Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec
Age at Death: 72 District: Chelsea (1841-1981); County: Greater London, London, Middlesex; Volume: 1a; Page: 312
England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
2010
Name: Giovanni Fontana
Death Date: 25 Nov 1893
Death Place: Middlesex, England
Probate Date: 20 Mar 1894
Registry: London, England
International exhibition 1862, official catalogue, fine art department
1862
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1871 Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
1871
p. 32.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1872 Walker Art Gallery
1872
p. 35.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1873 Walker Art Gallery
1873
pp. 39-40.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1875 Walker Art Gallery
1875
pp. 41-42.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1877 Walker Art Gallery
1877
pp. 69-71.
Liverpool autumn exhibition of modern pictures, 1881 Walker Art Gallery
1881
pp. 81-82.
Official Catalogue of Dublin International Exhibition of Arts and Manufactures 1865
1865
p. 103, no. 55. 'Young David playing on the harp' (marble).
p. 105, no. 97. 'Girl Smelling a Rose' - marble.
p. 107, no. 128. 'Innocence (marble)'.
Official Catalogue of the Dublin Exhibition of Arts, Industries and Manufactures and Loan Museum of Works of Art, 1872
1872
Fine Arts, Sculpture.
p. 81, no. 55. 'Industry'.
Loaned by Sir A.E. Guinness, Bart.
Post Office London Directory, 1860 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1860
p. 1803
Post Office London Directory, 1890 Post Office/Kelly London Directories
1890
p.1997
The Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Arts, The Eighty-Fourth, 1852
1852
Citing this record
'Giovanni Fontana', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib3_1215437143, accessed 09 Jun 2023]
