Italian school of the XIX century.

Italian school of the XIX century.
Bust of Venus.
Carrara white marble, carved and polished.
Measurements: 76 x 48 x 35 cm.

This elegant female bust is part of the Italian neoclassical tradition of the nineteenth century, deeply influenced by the recovery of the models of classical antiquity. The figure, identifiable as Venus - goddess of love and beauty - responds to an ideal of serene harmony and balanced proportions, where the softness of the forms and the purity of the marble directly evoke Greco-Roman sculpture.

The treatment of the face, with its restrained expression and slightly lowered gaze, conveys a timeless beauty, while the modeling of the torso and the anatomical delicacy reveal a rigorous academic knowledge. Particularly notable is the work of the hair, arranged in wide waves and gathered in an elaborate hairstyle, a frequent resource in neoclassical reinterpretations of classical types such as the Capitoline Venus or the Venus de Medici.

Carved in Carrara marble -a favorite material of the great sculptors since the Renaissance-, the work has a fine polish that accentuates the tactile quality of the surface and reinforces its sculptural character. Such pieces, highly prized in the context of the Grand Tour, were intended both for cultured collectors and for the decoration of refined interiors, becoming symbols of prestige and classical taste.

For its scale, quality of execution and fidelity to the classical canon, this bust is a representative example of 19th century Italian sculpture, capable of combining artistic erudition and strong decorative presence.