Published: Oct 12, 2026written by Jessica Suess, MPhil Ancient History, BA Hons History/Archaeology
Add UsThe art world has lost one of its most enduring talents with the passing of acclaimed Italian American sculptor Bruno Lucchesi on July 3, 2026, just a few weeks short of his 100th birthday. The Cavalier Galleries is commemorating his life’s work with a Memorial Exhibition at the New York gallery, which opened on 7 October and will run until 6 November 2026
Lucchesi is survived by his beloved wife, Ann Rosow-Lucchesi, family, friends, collectors, and students.
The Last of the Renaissance Sculptors
Bruno Lucchesi. Courtesy of the Cavalier Galleries
With a career spanning more than seven decades, Lucchesi became one of the US’s most respected figurative sculptors working in bronze, terracotta, and marble, creating incredible pieces inspired by everyday life.
“Bruno had an extraordinary gift for capturing the human spirit,” said Ron Cavalier, founder of Cavalier Galleries. “He sculpted effortlessly—it was as if the clay in his fingers came from his soul. He was the first major artist to show with the gallery early on in my art career. He was a creative genius and one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”
Lucchesi was widely recognized as the last of the Renaissance sculptors due to his dedication to the classical figurative tradition. As the artistic world of the 20th century shifted toward abstract, conceptual, and modernist sculpture, Lucchesi remained fiercely anchored to the centuries-old techniques of his native Tuscany. He kept the human body as the absolute center of his universe and a vessel for expressing emotion, balance, and the complexities of life.
He pioneered a groundbreaking sculpting technique called Sfoglia, which involves layering thin, paper-like sheets of clay, allowing him to create realistic, fluid clothing folds and delicate, textured drapery. But while this imitated the great works of the Renaissance master, Lucchesi chose to capture ordinary people doing ordinary things: a woman hanging laundry, a man reading the morning paper, or a mother nursing her child.
Lucchesi is credited with keeping the spirit of 15th-century Florence alive in the 20th century.
From Tuscan Shepherd to New York Icon: An Extraordinary Life
Bruno Lucchesi. Courtesy of the Cavalier Galleries
Born in Fibbiano Montanino, Lucca, Italy, in 1926, Lucchesi studied at the Istituto d’Arte A. Passaglia (1947-1950) before serving as an assistant professor at the University of Florence (1953). Here, he developed his craft in the physical landscapes of the Renaissance, inspired by the Florentine masters such as Donatello and Michelangelo.
He moved to New York in 1958 and hosted his first solo show there in 1961. In 1962, he began his decades-long tenure at the New School and the National Academy of Design. This established him both as one of America’s leading figurative sculptors and a beloved teacher and mentor for younger generations.
His career was marked by countless honors, including two honorary doctorate degrees, a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Sculpture Society’s Medal of Honor, and the Portrait Society of America’s Gold Medal for Lifelong Achievement, among others.
His works are held in some of America’s premier art institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Whitney Museum, and the Cavalier Galleries.
Notable pieces:
The Bather, 1960
Evening Paper, 1961
Woman Undressing, 1964
Mother and Child on a Bicycle, 1967
After Shopping, 1979
Woman Washing Foot, 1979
Sfoglia Reliefs, St. Mark’s Theater, 1984-1985
A Memorial Exhibition at the Cavalier Galleries
After Shopping, by Bruno Lucchesi, 1979. Source: Fordham University
To celebrate the extraordinary life of this extraordinary artist, the Cavalier Galleries is hosting “Bruno Lucchesi: Memorial Exhibition,” running from October 7 to November 6, 2026, at the New York gallery.
Located in Greenwich, Nantucket, New York, and Palm Beach, Cavalier Galleries offers an unparalleled selection of contemporary fine art at premier exhibition spaces. More information about the exhibit will be released in the coming weeks.