Description
Italian sculptor (15th-16th century) — Bust of Christ.
Carved stone with traces of polychrome.
This remarkable carved stone bust depicts the face of Christ with exceptional plastic quality and expressive intensity, attributable to Italian sculptural production between the 15th and 16th centuries. The face, framed by flowing wavy hair falling over the shoulders, displays features of great power: a penetrating gaze, a beard rendered with careful naturalistic attention, and a slightly open mouth that conveys a sense of living spiritual presence. The bust is resolved with a radial drapery converging toward the neck, a formal solution common in late medieval and Renaissance devotional sculpture. The surface retains widespread traces of original polychromy legible as fragments of a refined pictorial treatment that originally enhanced its devotional preciousness. Minor chips and signs of age bear witness to the authenticity and long history of this work.
