Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, the creator of Sfera con Sfera, has died
Posted on: 23 June 2025
Catherine Giltrap, Curator and Head of the University Art Collections expressed her heartfelt sympathy to Pomodoro’s colleagues and family, and plans to continue with Trinity's preparations to commemorate 100 years since his birth in 2026.
The Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, the creator of the famous bronze sphere on Trinity's campus, has died one day short of his 99th birthday.
His work includes the landmark bronze sculpture on the podium outside the Eavan Boland Library since the 1980s, colloquially known as 'The Pomodoro’, but in fact called the Sfera con Sfera (Sphere within a Sphere).
Born in the northern region of Emilia-Romagna on June 23, 1926, and known as Il Maestro among his colleagues at the Fondazione Pomodoro in Milan, Pomodoro was one of Italy's most prominent contemporary artists. His work can also be seen throughout the world, including Italy, the Vatican in Rome, the United Nations and the Guggenheim Museum in New York, and at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
The sculptor was conferred with an honorary degree at Trinity in 1992. Trinity is also home to several more of his artworks, including a series of nine prints at the School of Genetics and a later group of works at Tallaght University Hospital, as well as a significant sculpture in St James’s Hospital, acquired with the generous support of the artist and others.
Catherine Giltrap, Curator and Head of the University Art Collections expressed her heartfelt sympathy to Pomodoro’s colleagues and family, and plans to continue with Trinity's preparations to commemorate 100 years since his birth in 2026.
The Sfera con Sfera, she said, “quickly became the embodiment of the modern era and a significant outward expression of the vitality of the connections between the historic and the contemporary at our University.”
“What a privilege to have his immense creative spirit woven into our historic and contemporary campuses through his artworks. Il Maestro was delighted to know that his work formed part of the everyday life of students at Trinity as he was a great advocate of fostering educational links to the visual arts.
"Many generations have been, and will continue to be, enriched and inspired by his creative presence in Ireland at Trinity College Dublin."
Ar dheis Dé go raith a anam.
Media Contact:
Catherine O’Mahony | Media Relations | catherine.omahony@tcd.ie