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Lot Essay
DaPrato Statuary Co., now DaPrato Rigali Studios, was founded in 1860 in Chicago, Illinois on the corner of Van Buren and Canal Street. Founded by the four DaPrato brothers, American immigrants originally from the Tuscan town of Barga, Italy. Migrating from a town in Italy renowned for its sculpture carving and stone cutting, the brothers had an idea to move to America and sell their statues to the “new land.” In 1881, at the age of 16, the DaPrato’s youngest cousin, John E. Rigali, made the decision to leave Italy and move to America to apprentice under his cousins, upon completing his training with the well-known instructor Maestro Colognieri of Florence. Rigali was known as a prodigy carver, working day and night alongside his cousins to create masterpieces, which would then be sold to Chicago residents. In 1884 John was made partner and by 1890, Rigali became president of the firm. He would eventually oversee the growth of the company into a worldwide ecclesiastical art producer and distributor. DaPrato would continue to grow, setting the standard for religious art around the world. By 1917, the prolific studio operated locations in Chicago, New York, Montreal, Canada, and in Pietrasanta, Italy, near the famous Italian Carrara Marble Quarry, which is still one of the main sources for many of the marble projects the firm continues to supply today.
Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry, was a holy virgin who suffered martyrdom in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians in the early 3rd century. During festivities commemorating the founding of the Roman Empire, a mob began attacking Christians, who seized her and, by repeated blows, broke all of her teeth. Then they erected a pile of sticks outside the city and threatened to burn her alive if she refused her cease her blasphemous and impious actions. When she was given a little freedom, at her own request, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death. She is popularly invoked for toothaches because of the torments she had to endure, and is represented in art with pincers holding a tooth.
Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry, was a holy virgin who suffered martyrdom in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians in the early 3rd century. During festivities commemorating the founding of the Roman Empire, a mob began attacking Christians, who seized her and, by repeated blows, broke all of her teeth. Then they erected a pile of sticks outside the city and threatened to burn her alive if she refused her cease her blasphemous and impious actions. When she was given a little freedom, at her own request, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death. She is popularly invoked for toothaches because of the torments she had to endure, and is represented in art with pincers holding a tooth.