BY LUIGI BIENAIME, DATED 1868

Bienaime's cool Classicism, so much in vogue during the period in which he worked, derives from the predominant Classical spirit of the time, from his study of Greco-Roman originals, and from his long association with Bertel Thorvaldsen. After training in his birthplace, Carrara, Bienaime entered Thorvaldsen's atelier in Rome. He soon become an adept exponent of his master's style, finishing many of his works and making authorized copies, in addition to taking his own commissions; by 1827 he was in charge of the studio. After Thorvaldsen's death in 1844 he taught and worked in both Carrara and Rome, frequently collaborating with his brother Pietro Antonio Bienaime.