Boy on Clydesdale by Franco Vianello

Boy on Clydesdale lost wax bronze sculpture by Franco Vianello.

Franco Vianello – (1937 – 2015) renowned sculptor and versatile modern artist with roots in Renaissance, Italy. 

Franco Vianello was born in Venice in 1937 to a family with a heritage of over a century of sculptors and founders.  He began his traditional training at nine and by eleven his skills and talents were cognized by famed sculptor, Napolone Martinuzzi, who accepted him as an apprentice.  His exceptional talent at the age of thirteen qualified him to study at the Institute of Arts in Venice where he earned his master’s. 

Franco came to the United States in 1959 as a recognized and highly respected sculptor, having created many bronze works, including life-size bronzes.  Most of his Italian work was for cities and churches and a few well-known collectors, including Peggy Guggenheim. 

Franco started the first (other than New York) lost-wax sculpture foundry in Berkeley, California in 1960.  He taught bronze sculpting techniques and set up lost-wax casting facilities, including the University of California at Berkeley. 

After serving in the United States Army, he and his wife, Jane, settled in the East Bay of San Francisco.  He resumed his career in sculpture and created works that are seen throughout the world and the United States.  Some of his favorite works are historically correct pieces that depict early California life and some of its’ wild animals.  He also enjoys sculpting and casting modern pieces, classical and thematic works.  Many of his sculpture are 18-24 inches tall and fit easily into any home. 

Vianello is one of the few sculptors experienced in enlarging statues to heroic sizes and casting them in bronze.  Some larger bronze sculptures include: 

Tuna Man: monument on Shelter Island in San Diego, California; 

Four Horsemen: at the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage 

Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; 

Bucking Horse: for the Calgary Stampede in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; 

Pony Express: in Old Town Sacramento, California (co-sculptor); 

Leif Ericson: Seattle, Washington. 

He has created bronze sculptures for: The Audubon Society, Champion International, Scripps Oceanographic Institute, Wells Fargo Bank, Dillingham Corp., Levi Strauss, San Francisco Bohemian Club, San Diego Historical Society, and the San Francisco Academy of Sciences. 

Franco has received many awards and prizes for his work.  He is especially proud of the Trustee’s Gold Medal unanimously voted by the directors of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center and the National Academy of Western Art.