Attributed to Alessandro Vittoria

Attributed to ALESSANDRO VITTORIA (Trento, 1525 – Venice, 1608).
“Our Lady of Sorrows.”
Gilded bronze.
Measurements: 23.5 x 6 x 6 cm.
Cast in bronze using the lost-wax technique, this delicate sculpture depicts the Virgin in a pose of contemplation and grief. The figure, with stylized proportions and an elegant bearing, leans her body slightly forward and folds her hands across her chest—a gesture that refers to the iconography of Our Lady of Sorrows. This type of representation was commonly part of sculptural ensembles dedicated to the Passion of Christ, especially the Calvary scenes, in which Mary’s presence helped to intensify the emotional and devotional dimension of the scene.
The work exhibits characteristics that link it to the Venetian sculptural tradition of the second half of the 16th century, marked by a synthesis between the revival of classical models and the expressive sensibility of Mannerism. In this context, the figure of Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608) stands out as one of the most important sculptors of Renaissance Venice, whose work is distinguished by the elegance of its forms, the subtlety of its modeling, and the meticulous definition of its details.
Born in Trento, Vittoria moved to Venice in 1543, where he joined Jacopo Sansovino’s workshop. The long-standing collaboration between the two artists contributed decisively to the development of the Venetian sculptural language of the 16th century. His work unfolded in close collaboration with the leading architects and painters of his time, including Michele Sanmicheli, Andrea Palladio, Titian, Tintoretto, and Paolo Veronese. This interaction between sculpture, architecture, and painting fostered a refined conception of the figure, in which anatomical study and ornamental elegance are integrated into a single formal pursuit.
Vittoria excelled particularly in sculpture in bronze, marble, and terracotta, materials he approached with extraordinary technical versatility. His sensitivity to texture, the movement of drapery, and the restrained expressiveness of his figures constitute one of the distinctive features of his work. Among the works associated with his career, the *Annunciation* housed at the Art Institute of Chicago stands out as an example of the widespread influence of his artistic language.