Rizzoli's artistic style is characterized by a mix of realism, with an interest in the effects of light, and the emerging Art Nouveau.

This combination is evident in his sculpture for the Possenti-Vecchi family in which he uses the realist style for the faces but has many ornamental details on the same tomb.

As time progressed he began increasingly to favour the art nouveau style over his realism past.

Despite little production at the end of his career he had an important and fundamental impact on the artistic panorama of Bolognese art at the start of the 20th century.

His impact continued to the middle of the century due to his ability to analyse, personalise, and synthesise the artistic trends that were present in Europe at the time.