for a short time, where he married Anna Cutolo. In 1883 he once again demonstrated his determination to work outside the norm when he constructed his own foundry on the via Mergellina in Naples. He did so to revive the lost-wax process for bronze casting, which had been used during the Renaissance. In 1887, Gemito was commissioned to create a marble statue of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to be erected outside the Royal Palace of Naples. Marble was the least liked medium for Gemito, and he fretted that this work was below his capabilities. He suffered a mental breakdown and withdrew to a one-room apartment, and spent periods in a mental hospital. For the next 21 years he worked on drawing but remained a recluse, and it wasn't until 1909 that he resumed sculpting to once again produce masterful works. In his later years, Gemito turned to gold- and silver-smithing, and his intricate and delicate works are much admired today. In 1952, a postage stamp was issued in Italy to celebrate the 100 years since Gemito's birth. Gallery Notes References Elena Lissoni, Vincenzo Gemito, online catalogue Artgate by Fondazione Cariplo, 2010, CC BY-SA. Other projects 1852 births 1929 deaths 19th-century Neapolitan people 20th-century Italian sculptors 20th-century Italian male artists 19th-century Italian sculptors Italian male sculptors Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli alumni Olympic competitors in art competitions 19th-century Italian male artists