Italian school, ca. 1830.

Italian school, ca. 1830.
"Muse Melpomene".
Bust in Carrara marble.
In good state of preservation.
Measurements: 70 x 51 x 24 cm.

Bust in Carrara marble of the tragic muse Melpomene, which we recognize by the branches that adorn her hair. Her face is serene, with a straight nose, almond-shaped eyes and harmonious features clearly inspired by classical Greek statuary. Over the firm breasts, the tunic is draped in deep folds, and over the left shoulder the drapery swirls in a plastic game that shows a masterful technical mastery. This is a sculpture of the neoclassical school. Melpomene ("The Melodious") is one of the two Muses of the theater. The timelessness imprinted on the countenance reverberates in each of the details, which shows a deep knowledge of classical language. Initially she was the Muse of Song, of musical harmony, but later she became the Muse of Tragedy, as she was reinterpreted in numerous classicist paintings and sculptures, such as the one we are dealing with here. In full-length sculptures she is often represented holding a tragic mask in one hand, and sometimes carrying a bloody dagger. Roman copies bequeathed us remarkable examples of the representations of the muses, which in turn were based on the sculptors of the nineteenth century.