Ugolino and His Sons (detail)

Ugolino and His Sons was the culmination of five years of study at the Académie de France in Rome, where the talented artist was enrolled after winning the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1854. The sculptural group is deeply indebted to his contemplation in Italy of ancient statuary and, above all, of the passionate marbles and frescoes of Michelangelo. The central figure of the group assumed the attitude of Michelangelo's Lorenzo de' Medici (Medici Chapel, San Lorenzo, Florence).