THE PICCIRILLI FACTOR
ITALIAN SCULPTORS AND THE CITY BEAUTIFUL MOVEMENT
The Piccirilli Factor presents the lives and contributions of the Piccirilli family, Italian sculptors who, after settling in New York City in 1888, founded the largest and most prolific marble carving studio in America. For nearly half a century, the Piccirilli contributed to the City Beautiful Movement, shaping the architectural landscapes of Washington and New York in collaboration with leading architects and sculptors. Their body of work, encompassing both collaborative and individual pieces, includes nearly nine hundred monuments, memorials, and fine artworks, many of which are preserved in museums and private collections. Unfortunately, all records related to their practice were lost following World War II, after the studio closed due to the deaths of Attilio and Getulio Piccirilli.
The Piccirilli Factor, traces the journey of these Italian artisans drawing on client records, newspaper articles, and the support of distinguished art critics and curators from The Metropolitan Museum of Art and other prestigious institutions to reconstruct their path. Montes-Bradley meticulously documents the Piccirilli family's contributions to public art, focusing on the individual achievements of two of the six brothers: Furio and Attilio. The film spans key historical moments, from the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 to the Spanish-American War, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the challenging years for the Italian-American community during World War II. 60 minutes | 2025
A film made possible with the support of the
COLUMBUS CITIZENS FOUNDATION
Executive Producers
Lisa ACKERMAN and Eduardo MONTES-BRADLEY
Jeffrey PLANK Joel ROSENKRANTZ Thayer TOLLES John BELARDO
Michele BOGART Joseph SCIORRA William SHERMAN
Michele KOHEN Susan OLSEN and Joseph D’ORONZIO
Significant support for this film has come from
THE MORRIS AND ALMA SCHAPIRO FUND
THE JOSEPH AND ROBERT CORNELL MEMORIAL FOUNDATION
Written, Edited, and Directed by
Eduardo MONTES-BRADLEY
Key Points
The Piccirilli brothers were born in Massa, Italy, a region famous for its Carrara marble, and were trained in the traditional methods of artisan families and at the prestigious Accademia di San Luca in Rome.
They immigrated to the United States in 1888, establishing themselves as leading marble carvers and collaborating with prominent American architects and sculptors on major public works.
The Piccirilli Studio in the Bronx became a hub for art lovers and connoisseurs, and Attilio Piccirilli used the studio to support the Leonardo da Vinci Art School, a tuition-free academy serving New York's poor and immigrant communities.
The Piccirilli brothers' artistic output is estimated at nearly 900 works, including collaborations and personal creations, which can be found across the United States, from New York to California.
Attilio Piccirilli, the creative leader of the family, was known for his innovative and modern approach to classical sculpture, as seen in works like "Fragilina" and the Rockefeller Center bas-reliefs.
The Piccirilli family faced challenges during World War II, with some family members serving in the Italian army while others, like Attilio's nephew, served in the U.S. military.
The Piccirilli Marble Carving Studio eventually closed, and the family's legacy was scattered, with the studio's space now occupied by a Jehovah's Witnesses congregation.
Notable Quotes
"When anyone refers to me as a foreigner, I do not answer him. I pretend that I have not heard. Of course, I'm an American. Look, sometimes I think I will travel a little. I will go back to my native city and stay there for a year perhaps. What do I find? I find I'm a foreigner there. I speak the same language, but I don't think like them. I think American." - Attilio Piccirilli
"I had a good life. I had worked hard from the first. I earned plenty of money, spent it, and being happy. Perhaps that is the only possible road for success for an artist, not to think of work in the term of money but opportunity of joy." - Attilio Piccirilli
