Italian school, XIX century.

Italian school, XIX century
"Group of five dancing putti".
Carrara marble.
Measurements:

A group of five putti or lovebirds dance and frolic in a meadow. They carry cups of wine and bunches of grapes; one of them plays a pan flute and a couple dances holding hands. They represent the drunken retinue of Dionysus. They make up a group brimming with life and mischief. They form a sculptural group of the highest quality. Made in Carrara marble, the author takes the Bacchic theme to allegorize pleasure, abundance and the celebration of life. It reminds us of some of the best pieces by Auguste Moreau, because here too the carver reaches a high degree of naturalism in capturing the childlike gracefulness. It is a piece that draws from neoclassical models but at the same time is inebriated with a certain romantic cadence. It can also be associated, in theme and refinement, to the French Louis XVI style, which would have a strong influence on the decorative art of Italy in the nineteenth century, and is linked to classicism. This style sought to recover the forms and themes of Greco-Roman antiquity, characterized by elegance, balance and sobriety. In sculpture, this meant a return to the idealization of the body, symmetry and the use of mythological or allegorical themes that alluded to refined pleasures and nature. Putti, which are nude, cheerful and plump infantile figures, were widely used in both the Renaissance and Baroque periods, but during Neoclassicism they were given a playful and light character, appropriate for interior decoration.