Jean Richard Bartoli
Education
1962 BFA Philadelphia College of Art (currently the University of the ARTS) major in Sculpture; studied under Leland Bell, who was the primary influence on his work.
1963 – 1967 Learned to carve marble in Carrara, Italy, only using hand tools, by studying with artisan workmen and by detailed examination of the great works of art in the museums in Florence, including studying the tool marks on back of the works to determine how the pieces were made.
1969 MFA Rhode Island School of Design. Major in Sculpture.
Brief Biography
Family
Born in Berlin, New Hampshire in 1942. Father was a professional musician, supplementing his work at the local mill; Jean was an only child but was raised with both maternal and paternal grandparents and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins living in the same NH town.
Decision to Become an Artist
Jean attended St. Joseph parochial grade school through the seventh grade. Although the school did not have an art program, when Jean was in the second grade, A cartoonist from Walt Disney gave an illustrated talk at St. Joseph School. from that moment, Jean knew he wanted to be an artist.
After Graduate School
Returned to quarries of Carrara to continue to do his own work, as well as some commission work. He remained there until he was required to return to the States for the Vietnam War draft and to join the National Guard.
Back in New Hampshire, Bartoli cared for his ill parents, did some teaching, and built a Sculpture studio, equip with overhead lifting devices that would handle oversized pieces of marble. The exterior of the studio was faced with New Hampshire granite.
During this time, Bartoli developed a unique personal style of sculpture, generally based on his dreams and life experiences. The subject matter of this work was very difficult, including representation of war, death, and relationships of generations. It also was extraordinarily difficult technically, requiring him to hone all the skill he acquired from the Italian workmen and all he had learned by studying the work of the great sculpture in Florence. All of his work is done with hand tools.
Jean was one of five professional NH sculptors for the Wambeck Festival of the Arts in Jefferson, NH. This month-long festival, which ran in the summers from 1972 through 1978, included visiting sculptors, and NH professional sculptors working outdoors with students, as well as visiting muscians, (e.g. Benny Goodman), and visiting dancers (e.g., the Hartford Ballet) presenting weekly performances.
In 1985 Jean moved to Washington DC where he had several commissions for businesses, e.g., for Arthur Anderson, and taught at the Smithsonian Institution and the Washington Studio School.
Selected Exhibitions
- Carrara Biennale, Italy
- Museo D’Arte, Moderno, Italy
- Borelli Gallery, France
- AMA Gallery, Marina di Carrara, Italy
- Gallerie D’Arte Bongiovanni, Bologna, Italy
- Hood Art Museum, Dartmouth College
- University of New Hampshire
- Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA
- Manchester Institute of Arts and Sciences
- Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, NH