Italian school of the XVII century.

Italian school of the XVII century.
"Saint Rosalia of Palermo".
Alabaster.
Work published in "Alabaster through time. Jaime Trigo Collection", ref. 171.
Measurements: 35 x 27 cm.

This sculpture of Santa Rosalía de Palermo, sculpted in alabaster, is a work that combines compositional grace, technical skill and spiritual depth. The image, gently reclining, refers to the most intimate and contemplative baroque language.

The saint is depicted in an attitude of devout repose, delicately resting her head on her right hand, in a gesture that evokes both physical rest and the inner peace achieved by divine contemplation. In his left hand he holds a crucifix of remarkable proportions, symbol of his fervor and mystical union with the suffering Christ. The legs, barely bent and with the feet crossed, reinforce the naturalness of the posture.

The treatment of the drapery is sober: the long tunic entirely covers the anatomy, veiling the body. This voluntary concealment refers to the ideal of chastity and seclusion that defined the life of Saint Rosalia, anchorite and patron saint of Palermo, who abandoned the world to give herself completely to God in the solitude of a cave on Mount Pellegrino. There, according to tradition, she lived in penance and contemplation until her death in the 12th century.

The face, softly idealized, responds to the baroque canon of feminine sanctity: almond-shaped eyes that seem to close in meditation, lips barely curved in a serene smile and a small nose that contributes to the delicacy of the whole. The hair falls in neat waves at the neck, with a soft rhythm that accentuates the figure's ecstatic languor.

From a technical point of view, the alabaster has been worked with subtle variations in texture and light, favoring a frontal view of the figure.