Pontarelli Mausoleum - Ridgewood Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL
Posted by: adgorn
N 42° 03.841 W 087° 50.901
16T E 429811 N 4657232
The sculpture for the Pontarelli family mausoleum consists of two figures of angels in marble and Carrara marble portrait busts of Mr. and Mrs. Pontarelli.
Waymark Code: WMCD90
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 08/24/2011
Views: 2
I first learned of this while reading the reference:
Pierre, Dorathi Bock, ed., "Memoirs of an American Artist, Sculptor Richard W. Bock," Los Angeles, CA: C.C. Publishing Co., c1989, 1991, pg. 137. Here Bock says: "I received one more large commission, from Michael Pontarelli. This work was for his family mausoleum. It comprised two figures of angels in marble, also two portrait busts of Mr. and Mrs. Pontarelli. These were to be done in Carrara marble. I was unable to find a pointer carver in the city of Chicago, so I wrote to several of my friends in New York asking them to refer me to a dependable carver. Hermon MacNeil, commenting in his note to me, asked "How in the world are you able to get marble portraits to do in these days?" He referred me to Arthur Lorenzani, to whom I entrusted the work of copying my models, and I was very satisfied with his work."
Richard Bock was a regular collaborator with Frank Lloyd Wright and is featured in several other local waymarks.
It was interesting to see MacNeil's name pop up. He has done a number of other sculptures in the Chicago area.
The marble is VERY white and challenging to photograph at high noon. I was unable to get a good shot of the busts on the inside.
Located to the right of the entrance on a small triangular plot in the middle of the road. A recent burial announcement: (
visit link)