French School, late 19th century – early 20th century

French School, late 19th century – early 20th century.
"Bust of a Girl."
Bronze sculpture with a marble base.
Measurements: 35 x 16 x 12 cm.

The artist has captured the model—a young girl—in a spontaneous and lively pose. The girl covers her head with a large cap or hood that almost completely hides her curly hair; however, she appears to be tousling it in a coquettish gesture, bringing both hands to the sides of her chin and tilting her face slightly to one side. Her expression is cheerful and natural; her large eyes and rounded features emphasize the model’s youth, and her lips are slightly parted in a sincere and spontaneous smile. The young woman wears a simple vest with large rectangular buttons, and the artist has paid special attention to the rendering of textures. Thus, both the vest and the hat are rendered with a rough, coarse texture, which is a hallmark of their smoothness and softness compared to her bare arms and face.