Bust Of Da Vinci Finds Home In Green Bay

A bust of Leonardo Da Vinci is sitting in a crate on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB), a gift directly from the town where the “renaissance man” spent much of his life: Florence, Italy.

The carrara marble bust depicts Leonardo Da Vinci’s flowing curly hair and beard. It came from the private Del Bianco Foundation in Italy, an enterprise formed after the cold war to promote intellectual exchanges between countries.

UWGB was the first American university to become involved with the foundation about ten years ago. Sarah Meredith Livingston is an associate professor of music and womens’ studies at the campus. She says the bust arrived earlier this month and is now on a campus loading dock.

“It was so exciting. It kind of brought a tear to my eye. We knew about a year and a half ago that they were gifting us with this sculpture piece.”

Livingston says the work is one of five Leonardo Da Vincis by Italian sculptor Sirio De Ranieri, and the only one of its kind in the United States.

“To them I guess we represent the interdisciplinarity that also Leonardo Da Vinci represents to the world.”

A pedestal is being made for Leonardo. Plans are in the works to build a pedestal for him and to find a permanent home on campus. His official unveiling will be held this summer.