Italian School, c. 1900.

Italian School, c. 1900.
"Beatriz."
Marble and alabaster.
Signed "Besgi".
Measurements: 52 x 45 x 30 cm.

A bust carved in the round from marble and alabaster, dating from the Belle Époque and fully embodying the Art Nouveau aesthetic. We see a female figure with flowing hair and a melancholic demeanor, carved with great virtuosity. The name Beatrice Portinari, also known as Bice, appears on the plaque on the pedestal; according to some literary critics, she is the historical figure behind Dante’s character Beatrice. She was the woman Dante Alighieri loved and the muse who inspired him. Influenced by Symbolist literature, women were viewed at this time as beings of transformation and metamorphosis; consequently, they were often depicted with great imagination and associated with the supernatural and the unknown. The feminine is closely associated with the hidden side of nature, with the mysterious—and therefore alluring and seductive.