An old advertisement dating back to 1927 presents the “Galleria Antonio Frilli” as the largest exporter in the world of marble and bronze sculptures, specializing not only in classical but also modern statuary.
Things haven’t changed too much since then, and neither has the passion and dedication to all that’s beautiful of the family that’s run it for over 90 years.
Founded by the sculptor Antonio Frilli in 1860 as an atelier for sculptures in white Carrara marble and Volterra alabaster, the fame of the Frilli studio quickly grew thanks to its high-quality marble replicas of classical, Renaissance, and neoclassical statuary that frequently came to adorn the residences of European noble families in the wake of the Grand Tour.
Another important source of notoriety was the studio’s participation in numerous world’s fairs, 53 in all between 1861 and 1926. Philadelphia 1876, Melbourne 1881 and St. Louis 1904 were only a few of the expositions in which the studio garnered the highest honors for the works presented. In San Francisco in 1915, the Italian pavilion was decorated exclusively with works from the Frilli Gallery.
Circa 1924 the Frilli Gallery passed to the Marinelli family, today in its fourth generation at the helm. The gallery is a “family business,” home to diverse personalities and where traditional skills and values coexist with the new contributions of the younger generations, all united by the same passion.
It’s impossible to talk about the Frilli Gallery without mentioning the Baptistery of Florence, two institutions that have been closely linked for 30 years.
In 1990 Aldo Marinelli, who had grown up in the foundry and was well-versed in the secrets and technical details of lost-wax casting, cast a replica of Ghiberti’s eastern set of Baptistery doors, the so-called “Gates of Paradise,” using the plaster casts of the original which he alone possessed. This was then donated to the city of Florence by the Japanese magnate Motoyama, Marinelli’s longtime friend.
In January 2016 the Frilli Gallery, now headed by Aldo’s son, Enrico, cast and presented the replica of Ghiberti’s North Door of the Baptistery. With an innovative project that brought together international sponsors of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, the gallery also contributed to the restauration of the originals, now housed in the new Museo dell’Opera del Duomo where the name of Enrico Marinelli is carved in stone alongside those of the great artists and men who have worked on behalf of the Opera.
In April 2016 the Frilli Gallery began work on the replica of the third and oldest set of Baptistery doors, Andrea Pisano’s 14th-century South Door.
The challenge of replicating these doors thus begins anew and the confrontation with the great masters of the past continues, especially for the foundry workers who will have the honor of carving their names on the inside the panels and thus assure themselves their own little piece of eternity.
The gallery boasts one of the world’s most important collections of models of Greek, Roman, Renaissance, and neoclassical statues in prized white Carrara marble, both antiques as well as those newly hand-sculpted by the talented artists and artisans at the gallery’s Pietrasanta studio.
Then as now, the Frilli Gallery continues to propose original works of contemporary international sculptors that infuse the gallery’s atmosphere with their vitality and creativity.
Many fascinating international projects are currently underway in partnership with renowned landscape architecture and interior design studios, carrying out highly personalized works to fit the demands of each individual client. These collaborations range from important work for public institutions to projects for the most important companies worldwide, as well as a full range of services for private clients with the most diverse needs.
Since 1860, the Frilli Gallery has been located in the same historic palace on Via de’ Fossi in Florence, where classical replicas and original contemporary works compete for the attention of passersby who, once inside, can’t help succumbing to the pleasurable sensation of caressing a smooth marble face or rough bronze surface and … the magic of sculpture is realized once more.
