The Bisteghi tombstone commission was given to the sculptor
Enrico Barberi (1859-1936) in 1881 but effectively realized between 1885-1891. It was ideated in the formal realistic style of the last half of nineteenth century. It genteel expression re-interpreted the Verism current in Italian epoch through the
fin de siecle until the Great War.
The sculptured groups in white marble represents the wife of the defunct with veil and severed dressed, on her nee before the bed of her husband, her hands joined in the tradictional prayer pose. The defunct body is represented with meticulous interest for details as a theatre scene were the death and the pain are restrained by acceptation and moral force. A Winged Angel, erected in a benediction gesture completes this liturgical contents. The dignity in the gesture and the impotence before the death so intensely revealed by her expression, testifiers the ability of Barberi in his bologna period.
Enrico Barberi was artist known for his intense precision, the long elaboration's of his works. He had sojourned in Rome where he remain until 1887 hosted in the Luigi Serra's (1846-1888) atelier of Villa Strhol-Fern. Here he created the first project of this sculptured group.