The early work of Eugenio Baroni was heavily influenced by Rodin and Leonardo Bistolfi. His early work in the symbolist style was often quite decorative and expressive. His major early work was the monument to Garibaldi in Genoa. Baroni volunteered for military service in World War I, and received the Medaglia d'Argento for valor for his courage at the battle of Monte Grappa. However, what he saw during the war left him with a deep pessimism, which affected his work for the rest of his life. This pessimism found a voice in his stark works in the Art Deco style, of which the Berthe Grosso Bonnin memorial is the archetypical epitome of his postwar work.

It is an extremely early, yet fully mature example of Art Deco, presaging the work that would gain international popularity a decade later. The tragic imagery that permeated his later work was not commercially popular in the way that his pre-war work was. He struggled for the rest of his life, only receiving some commissions for small bronzes and the occasional funeral work.

This major work by a nearly forgotten pioneer Art Deco artist is suffering from years of neglect, but with a simple restoration it can continue to speak to future generations.

The restoration will be carried out by Lucia Reati, Conservazione e restauro opere d'arte, Genoa, Italy.