Aristide de Raineri

ARISTIDE DE RAINERI (Italy, 1880 - France, 1914).
Vase, ca. 1900.
Painted terra cotta.
Signed on back.
Numbered37 on bottom.
Author and similar pieces referenced in Philippe DAHHAN's book, Étains 1900, 200 Sculpteurs de la Belle
Époque, Les Éditions de l'Amateur, Paris, 2000. p. 352 to 353.
Measurements: 64 x 30 x 25 cm.

Large Art Nouveau vase in terracotta painted in bulbous form with the long and robust neck decorated in relief with a figure of a young lady who is impregnated with the scent of a flower. In the piece we can see all the influence and aesthetics of the Art Nouveau period, both in its structure and decoration.

Born in Italy, Ranieri developed his career in Paris, where he participated assiduously in the Salon, being awarded in 1899 with honorable mention. He worked with a variety of materials, including bronze, marble, plaster and terracotta, and produced mainly small ornamental sculptures and decorative objects in the Art Nouveau style. His themes are also typically Art Nouveau: nymphs and ethereal ladies, feminine allegories, etc., although he also represented genre scenes, children's figures and literary themes.