Italian School, late 19th–early 20th century.

Italian School, late 19th–early 20th century.
"Auto di Toto."
Made of reconstituted marble, mounted on a base of veined brown marble.
With an inscription on the front of the base.
The sculpture shows slight damage and the base has chipped edges.
Measurements: 30 x 33 x 14 cm.

The scene depicts a boy and a girl playing around a small bench, rendered with the gentle, naturalistic sensibility characteristic of much of the Italian sculpture intended for bourgeois interiors between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The closeness between the two figures, the leaning posture of one, and the smiling expression of the other lend the work an intimate and anecdotal character, far removed from grand academic themes. The careful rendering of the hair, the folds of the dresses, and the children’s delicate features makes particularly good use of the marble’s luminous and warm qualities.