An important sequence in The Piccirilli Project explores the collaboration between the Piccirilli Marble Carving Studio and sculptor George Grey Barnard in creating two sculptural groups for the Pennsylvania State Capitol. These groups—Love and Labor: The Unbroken Law and Burden of Life: The Broken Law—were modeled in Paris, carved in the Bronx, and installed in Harrisburg in the spring of 1911 amidst considerable controversy.
Art, Controversy, and Compromise
The nudity in twenty-seven of the thirty figures immediately provoked the ire of conservative members of the Pennsylvania State Legislature and religious leaders alike. Despite mounting pressure, George Grey Barnard refused to alter his designs. Ultimately, the Piccirillis were tasked with covering the male figures' genitalia using marble sheaths, a compromise that allowed the works to remain in place.
These magnificent groups, which have flanked the main entrance of the Capitol since their installation, speak unequivocally to the complex relationship America had with public art and nudity during the era of the American Renaissance.
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