Background
Salemme was born on November 2, 1892 in Gaeta, Italy. In 1904 following the death of his mother he emigrated to Boston with his father.
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Antonio Salemme
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He began to undertake the study of art at the age of 14 and then a benefactor enabled him to study sculpture in Rome in 1912. He came back to the United States after the first world war and established a studio in the Manhattan borough of New York City"s Greenwich Village. In 1924 he attended a performance of The Emperor Jones starring Paul Robeson and subsequently asked the actor to model for him.
The finished work, "Negro Spiritual" was displayed at the Brooklyn Museum as well as other fine art institutions.
The sculpture later voyaged to a foundry in France to be cast in bronze, but was then lost during World War Two. In the nineteen thirties the artist worked as a director in the Works Progress Administration and throughout his career did many portrait commissions.
He died on May 1, 1995 in Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania.
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Born
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Died
March 1, 1995 (aged 102) -
Nationality
Italy American