A Marble Sculpture of Flora By Ernesto Gazzeri

Object Description

A Marble Sculpture of Flora
By Ernesto Gazzeri

Carved from statuary marble, the veiled maiden standing on a rocky outcrop on a circular base, her flowing dress billowing in the wind as she holds a bunch of flowers in her right arm; her eyes downcast at the single flower in her left hand. Signed to the base “E. Gazzeri / Studio O Andreoni Roma.”
Italian, circa 1900

Dimensions: H: 36 in / 91.5 cm  |  W: 13.5 in / 34 cm  |  D: 8 in / 20 cm

The subject of the veiled maiden was first introduced in the mid-19th century by Raffaelle Monti for the Duke of Devonshire, also exhibiting at the Great Exhibition of 1851. The choice of a veiled figure continued a trend for sculptors like Ernesto Gazzeri to depict flowing fabrics in marble form, a revival of a practice used by ancient sculptors.

A comparable sculpture of a veiled flora of the same scale, also from Studio Andreoni, sold Sotheby’s New York 22 May, 2019, lot 18.

Object Literature

Ernesto Gazzeri (fl. c.1890-1920)

Born in Modena in 1866, Ernesto Gazzeri later moved to Rome where, inspired by his classical surroundings, he became a marble sculptor of repute. Excelling in portraits and figures, Gazzeri travelled extensively, and his works can be admired in England, France, as well as the United States. He also executed genre works and mythological subjects as in the present example.

Literature:
Panzetta, Alfonso. Nuovo Dizionario Degli Scultori Italiani Dell’ottocento E Del Primo Novecento : Da Antonio Canova Ad Arturo Martini. Adarte 2003, p.428.

Object Condition

Excellent condition

Object Details