This paper refers to two terracotta statues by Filippo Cifariello (1864-1936), Volgo napoletano and Studio dal vero, no longer missing but recently discovered in a roman private collection. The main value of the artworks lies in the period of production, which corresponds to Cifariello’s early career. In 1883, just aged seventeen, he presented both the sculptures at the «Esposizione di Belle Arti» in Rome. By showing the critics how much he was devoted to the napolitan verismo, as a consequence he had been considered the last exponent of such a style. A letter preserved in the Archivio Centrale dello Stato in Rome, addressed to the artist Ettore Ferrari, helps in reconstructing the curvy path that led Cifariello’ statues into the roman collection.