Description
Italian sculptor (early 19th century) – Bust of a woman.
Bust in patinated and gilt bronze, on a square veined marble base of a later period.
The bust depicts a female figure with her hair gathered in a raised chignon, enriched by a gilt bronze diadem with a crown motif and foliate scrolls. The chest is covered by drapery fastened at the shoulder with a circular clasp and crossed by a gilt band with a meander border. The contrast between the dark brown patina of the bronze and the gilt details is typical of Empire-taste decorative production, inspired by the Retour d’Égypte fashion that spread across Europe after the Napoleonic campaign.
Condition report: Good state of preservation, with even patina and slight surface oxidation, minor wear to the gilding on the more prominent areas.
