William Wetmore Story was a versatile American artist, writer, and critic who became a central figure in the expatriate community of nineteenth-century Rome. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, to the esteemed Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, he initially followed a traditional path, graduating from Harvard College and Harvard Law School. He practiced law and published several legal treatises, but his passion for the arts ultimately led him to abandon his legal career.
In 1848, Story moved to Italy, settling in Rome, where his apartment in the Palazzo Barberini became a vibrant salon for American and British artists and intellectuals, including Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Margaret Fuller, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Story's literary output was diverse, encompassing poetry, art criticism, and essays. His notable written works include Roba di Roma, a collection of observations on Italian life, and several volumes of poetry such as Graffiti d'Italia.
While highly regarded as a writer and critic, Story achieved his greatest fame as a sculptor. His neoclassical marble works, often depicting historical and mythological figures, were celebrated for their dramatic intensity. Among his most famous sculptures are Cleopatra and the poignant Angel of Grief, a monument he created for his wife's grave that has since been widely replicated. Story remained in Italy until his death in 1895, leaving behind a legacy as a key bridge between American and European nineteenth-century culture.
