Italian school of the first quarter of the 19th... Lot 73

Italian school of the first quarter of the 19th century. "Pensive young woman". Marble. Signed with monogram. With inscriptions on the base. Measurements: 120 x 56 x 66 cm. The marble block has been worked with singular virtuosity and remarkable sensitivity to extract from it the exquisite representation of a languid and passionate young woman. A young woman kneeling, with one of her legs slightly raised off the ground in such a way as to give her hips a slight twist, clasps her hands together on her left cheek. The closed eyelids, tilted head and half-open lips reinforce the intensity of the image of a body devoted to silent passions. The enraptured attitude could be as much in love as in mystical devotion, but the sensuality of the sleeveless dress and the jewels on the tiara point to the first interpretation. The draping work gives the marble an apparent malleability that is evidence of a masterful carver: the side buttoning of the cotton nightdress gives rise to folds that cascade over the lap and envelop the thighs with natural sensuality. The feet, in sandals, have been carved down to the smallest of curves. The result is a piece that combines the neoclassical restraint inherited from the Greeks with a sensual mystique that transcends the religious sphere.