Cleto Tomba Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Cleto Tomba was born in   Castel San Pietro Terme   (province of Bologna) on 19 August 1898 by Gualtiero Pompeo Tomba and Albina Cimatti. The encounter with sculpture took place at an early age, modeling figurines with clay that he found venturing along the river, near home. Read the full biography

Cleto Tomba Biography

Cleto Tomba was born in   Castel San Pietro Terme   (province of Bologna) on 19 August 1898 by Gualtiero Pompeo Tomba and Albina Cimatti. The encounter with sculpture took place at an early age, modeling figurines with clay that he found venturing along the river, near home. The father, who appreciated his son's talent, took these figurines to be fired in the tile kiln, which was located next to the Baths. Thus, the small sculptures of the very young Cleto, already renowned as a child prodigy, found their first buyers among his fellow villagers.

In 1903, at just six years of age he began to attend the private school of the painter Carlo Legnani in Bologna, a school to which he was admitted without financial commitments for his family, the parish priest of   Santa Caterina of Strada Maggiore   he offered free paper to make drawings and exercises to the most deserving students.

In 1909 his father Gualtiero died, forcing the young Cleto to leave the Art School of Palazzo Ercolani. Three years later he began studying sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna , under the guidance of   Pasquale Rizzoli   graduating in 1917. In 1922 he won the competition for the «Monument to the Fallen» of   Imola , then not executed, while he executed, again for having won the competition, the monument to the fallen of   Casola Valsenio . In 1923 he created the commemorative sculpture in the ossuary of the Imola cemetery and obtained second prize in the competition for the «Monument to the Fallen» of   Sampierdarena . In 1926 he won the overall First Prize at the Ex-Combattanti Exhibition   Bologna .

Cleto in this period was an established sculptor, with a very personal style, so much so that in 1928 he was invited to the   Venice Biennale   participating with the plaster sculpture «The March on Rome» while, the following year, he participated in the International Art exhibition of   Barcelona   exhibiting the sculpture the playful «Manzoniana», proposed again at the Turin trade union two years later.

In 1929 the monograph “Profilo di Cleto Tomba” was published   Rezio Buscaroli . A curious note from this particular period is the signature: after the solo show at the "Sala Sarti" of   Faenza   in 1928 this changed to “Cleto del Castello”. Repentant, he began to say "Cleto Tomba del Castello", to then return to saying and signing himself "Cleto Tomba".

Starting from the 1930s, in addition to monumental subjects, he created small-format works, painted terracottas: his "human comedy" was always ironic and caricatural. With these small sculptures he will participate in numerous national, international and trade union exhibitions.

In 1931 he won the   International Curonian Competition ; he was invited to the First Roman Quadrennial with the ironic «Zebre al sole» and was appointed member of the Accademia Clementina . In 1933 he taught on assignment at the Municipal Competitions of the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna . Also in 1933 he participated in the public competition for the «Fountain - Monument to the Fallen of the Direttissima» for the Bologna station, presenting a sketch dedicated to the miners who fell into the shaft of   Cà di Landino , obtaining second prize; work purchased by the Municipality of Bologna for the Gallery of Modern Art. In 1934 the Monograph of   Giuseppe Liparini   “The Art of Cleto Tomba” with thirty-five tables and three drawings. In 1935 he participated in the Second Roman Quadrennial with «Il Duce», an austere portrait of   Benito Mussolini . With the work "Boxer" presented at the Fifth Union of Bologna in 1936 and "Maternity", exhibited in the same year at the Venice Biennale, the artist aligned himself with the themes dear to the fascist regime.

In 1937, by competition, he obtained the chair of figure and ornament modeling at the Liceo Artistico in Bologna, a chair he held until 1968. In 1939 he was still present at the Roman Quadrennial with the wax «Moses», while in 1940 he held a solo show with fifteen works in bronze at the Venice Biennale. In 1941 he participated in the Milan Syndicate with the opera «Sposa», and in 1942 with the opera «Marco». In 1948 he returned to the Venice Biennale presenting the works «Nostalgie Terrene» and «Zebre al sole». In 1954 the monograph “Cleto Tomba – Le figurine” presented by was published   Piero Jahier   And   Lamberto Priori . In 1958 he participated in the Biennial of Sacred Art of the Antoniano and was awarded for the work "The Supper of the Poor". In 1960 Cleto Tomba was appointed member of the Accademia di S. Luca and won the gold medal at the   Forlì   for the small bronze “Monaca”. In 1962 he participated in the tender announced for the design and construction of the «Monument to the Fallen» of   Bartella , an Assyrian town near   Mosul , in   Iraq , ranking second. Also in 1962 he participated in the Premio Fiorino di   Florence   exhibiting the bronze "Alcoholic" with which he won the gold medal of the   Chamber of Commerce   of Pisa, work purchased for the collections of the Gallery of Modern Art of   Palazzo Pitti   in Florence.

Cleto Tomba dies in   Bologna   on November 29, 1987. The cities of Castel San Pietro Terme and the city of Bologna dedicated a street to him.