Terracotta sculpture group by Angelo Piò (1690–1769) — 18th century

A painted terracotta sculptural group by Angelo Piò, depicting the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, Saint Anthony, and cherubs. Bologna, 18th century. Angelo Gabriello Piò (Bologna, 1690 – Bologna, 1769) was an Italian sculptor active in Bologna during the Rococo period. He studied from 1711 to 1712 with Andrea Ferreri and was also a student of Giuseppe Maria Mazza. After 1718, he studied in Rome with Camillo Rusconi. In 1721, Piò became a member of the Accademia Clementina in Bologna and worked with some of the leading Bolognese architects of the time. Piò primarily used stucco and colored terracotta, working in the Emilian Rococo style. He used these materials due to the scarcity of stone and marble, but was able to closely imitate stone sculpture. His works primarily depicted religious, allegorical, or mythological subjects.