Pontarelli Mausoleum - Ridgewood Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

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.

TITLE: Pontarelli Mausoleum ARTIST(S): Bock, Richard W., 1865-1949, sculptor. Lorenzani, Arthur E., 1886-1986, carver. DATE: ca. 1934-1946. MEDIUM: Carrara marble. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 88730061 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Ridgewood Cemetery 9900 North Milwaukee Avenue Des Plaines, IL 60016 To the right of the entrance on a small triangular plot in the middle of the road. DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: Revised, more accurate location - The listing just says "Located Chicago, Illinois" , a bit vague and unhelpful. So I did a little web searching on the Pontarelli name and found this obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=barbara-j-pontarelli&pid=136821664 for a Barbara Pontarelli, entombment Family Mausoleum at Ridgewood Cemetery. I determined that Ridgewood Cemetery is located in Des Plaines, IL. I went there and, viola, found the mausoleum.

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