A Marble Revolutionary

Joan Derk van der Capellen (1741-1784) was the influential leader of the Dutch Patriot movement which inaugurated the Revolutionary Era in Europe. After his untimely death, Capellen’s followers commissioned the Roman sculptor Giuseppe Ceracchi – a radical revolutionary in his own right – to make a large marble monument to their late hero. Sweeping political changes and base financial quarrels, however, soon caused the monument to fall into utter oblivion.

This collection of essays brings Capellen and his monument to life once again. It relates Capellen’s times, ideas and reputation and tells the fascinating story of how his monument survived throughout the centuries as a marble witness to a dramatic age.

The book was published in 2011 in a bilingual (EN-IT) edition by Palombi Editori.