Antonio Garella Busts

Hand carved bust of Shakespeare's Desdemona, Othello's wife, in black Belgian marble and brown limestone.

A Monumental and Truly Exceptional French Patinated Bronze Bust of Jesus Christ, Circa 1858, Signed J. Clesinger, Rome 1858 & F. Barbedienne Fondeur This monumental and extraord...

Hermann GLADENBECK (1827-1918, Germany): "Bust of Hermes by Praxiteles" Bronze bust with a medium brown patina mounted on a pedestal base representing Hermes, son of Zeus and Maia, ...

This exquisite small bronze sculpture features a beautifully stylized female bust, capturing the fluid lines and elegance reminiscent of the Art Deco and Art Nouveau periods. The hea...

A Very Fine and Charming Italian Late 19th to early 20th-Century Carrara Marble Sculpture Group Titled “The Village Celebration” by Professor Antonio Garella (Italian, 1863-1919). The intricately, impressive and exceptionally carved statuary marble group depicting a dancing and singing group of Italian villagers, dancing and singing in a lively embrace, holding hands and arms. The joyful scene includes a figure playing an accordion, another holding a wicker basket, and a hunter with a rifle slung over his back, accompanied by his hunting dog. The sculpture is elegantly mounted on a swiveling, carved green marble pedestal. Signed: Profre A. Garella – Galleria P. Bazzanti, Firenze. Circa: Florence, 1900. Antonio Giuseppe Garella (1863–1919) was an Italian sculptor renowned for his work in marble, alabaster, and bronze during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Ferrara (some sources cite Bologna), he trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence and in Bologna before establishing himself in Florence, where he became a prominent figure in the city’s artistic community. Often referred to as "Professor Antonio Garella," he was closely associated with the Galleria P. Bazzanti, a prestigious hub for sculpture sales and exhibitions. Garella’s career spanned the fin-de-siècle period, blending neoclassical influences with romantic, narrative themes inspired by everyday Italian life and classical antiquity. His sculptures, known for their intricate carving and emotional expressiveness, include lively portrayals, as seen in The Village Celebration. Other notable works include The Love Letter, a white marble figure of a young woman reading, evoking tender emotion; La Notte (The Night), a nude sculpture of a flying maiden above an orb; Diane of Gabii, a life-size marble inspired by classical antiquity; and Apollo and Daphne, a large marble sculpture modeled after Gianlorenzo Bernini’s 17th-century masterpiece in the Borghese Villa, Rome. In Apollo and Daphne, drawn from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Garella captures the myth of the chaste nymph Daphne, pursued by the young god Apollo, who is bewitched by Cupid to fall in love with her. As Daphne prays to her river-god father to escape Apollo’s advances, she transforms into a laurel tree. Garella, like Bernini, sensitively carves Daphne’s feet and hands morphing into leaves and branches, while Ovid notes that Apollo can still feel her heart beating beneath the bark. Garella’s monumental commissions further highlight his prominence, including a 1904 statue of Garibaldi in Pistoia and two statues, L’Architettura and La Musica, for the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument in Rome. Though not as celebrated as Antonio Canova (1757–1822), Garella significantly contributed to Florence’s marble sculpture tradition, bridging academic styles with emerging 20th-century trends and influencing decorative arts. His masterpieces, often crafted through ateliers like Galleria P. Bazzanti, remain highly valued in European and American private collections, with limited auction records due to their scarcity in the antiques trade market. Related Literature: A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani, Turin, 2003, vol. I. Museums: • Museo Civico di Prato (Prato Civic Museum) - Prato, Italy Ritratto di Filippino Lippi (Portrait of Filippino Lippi) Bronze and marble bust portraying the Renaissance painter Filippino Lippi (1457–1504), reflecting Garella's skill in portraiture and historical homage. • Fondazione Sgarbi (Sgarbi Foundation; a private cultural institution with museum-like functions, focused on art collections) - Ro Ferrarese, Italy Saffo (Sappho) Polymaterial bust (likely marble and other media) depicting the ancient Greek poet Sappho, emphasizing classical themes. • Muzeum Palac-Herbsta – Łódź, Poland...

Exuding a profound sense of character and history, this vintage portrait bust is a masterful work of sculpture. The artist has captured a powerful, introspective expression, brought ...

A pair of Antique busts of the French philosophers Rousseau and Voltaire. Unusually although from fairly standard portraits the busts appear to be English rather than French as they ...

An antique bronze Neoclassical bust of Menelaus after the antique. This handsome sculpture is depicted looking to the right with his helmet raised over his waved hair and curling bea...

After the antique, his helmet decorated with centaurs and panthers. In Homer’s Illiad, he is described as a hero of colossal frame who was trained by the...

An antique bronze and composition bust of the famed late 13th to early 14th century Italian philosopher, writer and poet, Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), mounted on an associated fossil...

Important pair of patinated cast bronze busts representing goddesses Mars and Minerva. Beautifully cast in the Renaissance Beaux Arts style, featuring cherubs , sea horses and classical attribute, retaining a weathered verdigris patinas from being exposed outdoors . Both sculptures are unsigned and both bear a museum collection inventory number. France: circa 1880 Provenance: Former collection of the "Clerc De Saint -Viateur" or the Clerics of Saint Viator also known as the Viatorians a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (priest, brothers and lay associates) founded in Lyon, France, in 1831 by Father Louis Querbes. The congregation had a large collection including the pair of sculptures on loan to the Musée De Musée...

An elegant and most charming pair of French 19th century Louis XVI st. patinated Bronze and Ormolu busts of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. This stunning pair are raised on hexagon s...