A “Testimonial of Esteem”: The Pietra Dura of President James A. Garfield

Pietra Dura

NPS Photo

The colorful stone mosaic portrait of President James A. Garfield framed in ebonized wood was a memorial gift to Lucretia Garfield in 1883. It was received in a black velvet case along with a letter of condolence to the widow from Florentine artist H. Bosi.

Pietra dura (Italian:"hard stone") is an intricate form of art that uses cut and fitted, and highly polished stones to create a practically seamless image. The stones must be hard so that they can be cut without breaking. Marble, as well as semi-precious and precious stones, are favored for this reason. Garfield’s portrait and the floral wreath surrounding it are made up of a combination of Sicilian Jasper, Russian Lapis Lazzuli, Neapolitan coral, Indian shell, Genoese agate, and other stones from around the globe, perhaps symbolizing the President's world importance.

The art of pietra dura was invented in Florence, Italy toward the end of the 16th century. Francis I of Medici created a workshop of stone marquetry and hired the best lapidaries. Combining their talents and knowledge, the artists developed a new technique that quickly became desired by the noble classes. Monarchs from all over Europe and India created pietra dura studios in their countries. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned floral motifs and geometric designs for the walls of the Taj Mahal, using the same method of stone inlay.

The real skill in pietra dura work is in choosing, cutting, and inlaying of the stones. The joins between the stones must be practically invisible: this can be accomplished by chiseling the mosaic pieces at an angle, so that they interlock like a jigsaw puzzle.

Once the stones are inlaid and glued onto a backing panel (usually black Belgian marble), gesso is used to fill in the gaps. The completed work is then polished with abrasive stones and waxed to smooth out the surface.

In most exquisite examples of these pieces, the artist will choose and arrange the stones in such a way that their veining will create naturalistic details, such as shadows and tonal variation. This is where the art of pietra dura most closely approaches painting. A close-up of Garfield’s pietra dura reveals these characteristics.

In a letter dated September 8, 1883, Lucretia expressed her gratitude to the Mr. Bosi: "I know you accept my thanks for this testimonial of your esteem for General Garfield, and for your thought to do him honor by such exhibition of marvelous skill. I have no words to express my admiration of it, nor my surprise that with such material you have been able to produce a result so excellent and charming. Surely it deserves a first place among memorials - all so expressive of high, poetic, tender thought of him we mourn."

The Garfield pietra dura is on exhibit in the Memorial Library here at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site.