Height: 18.5 inches. Width: 11.5 inches. Signed on integral base? Excellent vintage condition, wear consistent with age and use. Classically trained in Italy at the Beaux Arts Academy in Rome from 1906 to 1913, Edgardo Simone became a famous sculptor in Italy and the United States using mediums of terracotta, ceramic, bronze, and plaster. He earned a Doctorate of Design and Sculpture at the Academy and then emigrated to the United States where he worked in New York, Chicago and southern California. His style was influenced by Art Nouveau, Art Deco and other modernist influences. In Italy, he had received three times the Croix de Guerre and was decorated by King Victor Emmanuel II and Queen Margherita. Before moving to America, he had much recognition in Italy. He had created war and city monuments, and tombstones in twenty-six Italian cities. When he arrived in New York City, one of the newspapers carried a headline: Italy’s greatest Sculptor Arrives in New York. In New York, Simone became prominent in society and did many portrait busts including such of Thomas Edison, John J. Pershing, Henry Ford and Louis Brandeis. After marriage, the couple moved to Coronado, California where Simone crafted works for Franciscan missions. In the 1940s, they moved to Los Angeles, and he worked at MGM Studios doing busts of Hollywood celebrities, such as Marlene Dietrich and David Niven. He also created a full-sized depiction of Jesus Christ for an alter scene in the movie, The Song of Bernadette; and a ceramic piece modeled by the wife of illustrator, Howard Christy. Edgardo Simone died in Hollywood in 1948. WE GUARANTEE THE AUTHENTICITY OF ALL ITEMS TO BE AS REPRESENTED. Ashville Fine Arts Gallery specializes in a variety of fine art, antiques, jewelry, collectibles and rare finds. If you have not seen something that interests you or that you collect, please visit often and check our ever-expanding inventory. We make a best effort to provide a fair and descriptive condition report. Please examine the photos attentively, as they are an integral part of item descriptions. Domestic & International Customers are Welcome! ALL ITEMS ARE CAREFULLY PACKED AND INSURED. PLEASE SEND US A MESSAGE.