Controversial Statue of John Paul II Gets Makeover

September 18, 2012, 4:56 pm

By ELISABETTA POVOLEDO

ROMEâ€"An adapted version of a controversial sculpture of Pope John Paul II that irked many Romans when it was unveiled in May of last year was presented to the press on Tuesday, after a restyling that lasted nine months.

City officials said that the bronze artwork had been tweaked to take into account the suggestions of a commission of art experts convened by Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, after criticisms of the statue, amplified by the media, had reached a critical mass.

Romans complained that the sculpture didn't adequately capture the likeness of the beloved pope, who died in 2005, and the six-meter tall work was belittlingly compared to a sentry box, a bell and a public urinal.

T he sculptor, Oliviero Rainaldi, worked closely with the commission to incorporate suggestions. Some of these, he said on Tuesday, had been part of the original sketch for the sculpture, but had not been included because of pressure to finish it in time for the pope's beatification, in May 2011, and his birthday, on May 18.

Changes to the work include a trimmed mantle, the raising of the statue onto a platform and the enlargement of the face, now squarely set on a neck. Mr. Rainaldi also changed the expression of the eyes, to focus more on the spectator, but the “spirit and theological conception of the work is the same,” he said. The work was meant to be conceptual, he added, noting that the statue is dedicated to the pope but titled “Conversations.”

“This was never meant to be a votive work,” he said.

Umberto Broccoli, who heads Rome's Cultural Heritage Department, said Mr. Rainaldi had merely completed the sculpture and ironed out some “tech nical imperfections.” And he cautioned Romans from taking sides for or against the work. “You can't play heads or tails with a statue, especially when it comes to contemporary art,” which will always have detractors and champions, he said. “Contemporary art cannot be judged,” he said.

The statue will be presented to the public at the end of the month, after a new base has been completed.