Unknown

Florentine Artist Mascherone fountain Figurative sculpture 18th century marble

18th-19th century

One flame candle holder putto made of gilded wood. Those kind of objects were present in churches or noble villas, specially during the Baroque times. The base is not coeval.

This marble bust, signed S. Albano dated 1890, belongs to his adult age and to the last years of his life, when he was already very requested and he had a prolific workshop in Florence. It represents a young peasant, portrayed with a simple handkerchief covering her hair and a shirt opened on the neckline to let us a see the crucifix cross, symbol of a sincere and innocent faith (the necklace appears in other is Albano’s works, like in the artist’s sister, Evangeline, Marguerite busts and in the Marguerite sculpture, all of them in private collections). The simple and tender subject is made with an exquisite technique, still quoting De Gubernatis “he can be enviable because he gives to the modelled flesh a singular transparency”, as we can see in the delicacy of the cheeks, nose, chin. His skills especially appear in the details: the locks naturally coming out, the light signs of the eyebrows, handkerchief with his thin folding line, the collar of the shirt bending on itself, the use of the drill for the rendering of the curly hair. Born in a small town in the deep South of Italy by a decent but very modest family, he developed artistic inclination since he was a child by modelling Nativity Scene characters for the people of his neighbour until the1858 when, thanks to the help of some oh his fellows recognising his talent, he moved to Naples to follow the lessons of the sculptor Antonio Sorbillo before starting his training at the Fine Art Academy with Tito Angelini...

Marble-based bronze statuette depicting Cupid, holding an arrow in his hand, walking caressing a lion's mane, lowered in the act of affectionately licking his little foot. The subjec...

Alabaster temple with Corinthian capitals decorated with swans and flower ornaments. At the centre, a bronze statue representing the Queen Omphale dre...

Group of 4 small objects in different metals composed of: 1 dog shape inkwell in bronze 1 boar copy of the Florentine "Porcellino Fountain" by Tacca in silver 1 boar in bronze 1 Ele...

Il bronzo raffigura un fantino e nel 1957 venne esposto alle personali dell'artista alla Strozzina di Firenze e alla Galleria Cocchini di Livorno. Esiste anche un disegno preparator...

Fine Group of Sculptures in Bronze after Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna) The torturously twisting Rape of the Sabine Women is one of the finest and most technically difficult sculpt...

Fine Group of Sculptures in Bronze after Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna) The torturously twisting Rape of the Sabine Women is one of the finest and most technically difficult sculptures in the world. Three intertwined bodies, two men and a woman, spiral upwards as the woman tries to escape the clutches of the younger man standing over the older one. It is an absolute masterpiece by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna. After the original in Florence’s Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria...

Fine Group of Sculptures in Bronze after Jean de Boulogne (Giambologna) The torturously twisting Rape of the Sabine Women is one of the finest and most technically difficult sculptures in the world. Three intertwined bodies, two men and a woman, spiral upwards as the woman tries to escape the clutches of the younger man standing over the older one. It is an absolute masterpiece by the Flemish sculptor Giambologna. After the original in Florence’s Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria...

GIOVANNI BATTISTA LOMBARDI (ITALIAN, 1822-1880) A fine marble statue titled Susanna al Bagno sitting on a revolving pedestal carved in relief with...

This monumental bust is a museum-quality example of Roman Baroque sculpture. Crafted by the legendary Domenico Guidi and carved from Carrara marble, the impressive portrait captures the visage of Pope Innocent XI, Benedetto Odescalchi (1611-1689). It presents a larger-than-life example of Guidi’s remarkable skill as a sculptor, which ultimately made his workshop one of the most important in Rome during his age. Today, his works are rarely found on the market, particularly his extraordinary works in marble. Pope Innocent XI was born Benedetto Odescalchi into an Italian noble family of prominent bankers. Spending his early years in banking, he eventually turned to the law, earning his doctorate in 1639. His background would serve him well in his service to the papacy, and he became known as a frugal and devout member of the Church. In 1676, he was unanimously elected Pop after the death of Clement X. During his nearly 13-year reign, he instilled his own personal ideals of austerity and frugality onto the Church, with a deep commitment to reform and piety. He is captured here by Guidi in his traditional Pope’s mozzetta and camauro cap. A wide stole is draped over his shoulders, ornamented by acanthus leaves and the coat of arms of the Odescalchi family. It displays Guidi’s mastery over the chiaroscuro effect, particularly in the high level of contrast in his cheeks and his eyes, which Guidi achieved through various methods of high polish. A very similar portrait sculpture of Pope Innocent XI by Guidi can be found in the collection of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The Warsaw bust belongs to a series of portraits of popes which the Odescalchi family commissioned from Domenico Guidi in the 1690s. Compared to that example, the present bust is far more dramatic, with deeper cut lines and a more precise expression. It is likely that the present piece was seen by the Odescalchi family, who ordered a similar one to be made. The piece was almost certainly intended to be displayed in a niche, given its dramatic cutting and its roughly carved back. Others of Guidi’s busts can be found in important collections throughout Italy, England and the United States, though many of these are lesser bronze repetitions. A bronze bust of the Pope Alexander VIII by Guidi is currently in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum (London), while a terracotta version of the same is in the Los Angeles County Museum. A bronze of Pope Alexander VIII can be found in the Princely Collection of Lichtenstein, and his impressive marble papal bust of Clement IX graces the pope’s tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore. The present bust of Pope...

Signed: A. Carrier-Belluese Two large bronze matching busts of an unknown male and female 22 x 10 x 11" male 23 x 10 x 9" female Both show signs of wear with their age but are in fa...