catalog text
GALLERIA LAPINI
Florence, Italy
Bust of a Young Woman (1899)
Carved Carrara Marble | signed to the reverse of the socle "GALL LAPINI / Firenze / 1899 / MADE IN ITALY"
Item # 405QXG17S
An attractive carved Carrara marble bust of a young woman by Galleria Lapini, the workshop of Cesare Lapini, in 1899, the figure is altogether quite original in the presentation of the young woman's features. She has a kind face and gentle eyes that are downcast with a sublte knowing smile tugging at her lips. Her cheeks are full and the sheer realism of her face is a testament to the studio's ability to work the hard and unforgiving stone with such sensitivity that it replicates flesh. She is situated over an original socle that is designed to conform to the plinth of the bust, this with a single iron pin in the center that allows the bust to be removed easily. The reverse of the bust is signed and dated.
A composition the Lapini studio was drawn to, they produced many examples of young women with downcast eyes, looking off to an infinite point in the distance.
Cesare Lapini (1848- approx. 1893) is arguably one of the most highly celebrated sculptors from the group working in Florence during the end of the 19th century. He exhibited at the Galleria Bazzanti alongside his peers, sculptors such as Guglielmo Pugi, Pietro Bazzanti and Ferdinando Vichi. He became well-regarded for his Neoclassical and Romantic marble sculptures, which exhibit fluid intricate detail, great emotional expression and technical mastery.
His workshop and studio, Galleria Lapini, became an important source of artistic contribution in Florence and was still in operation as late as 1900, well after his death. The carvers at Galleria Lapini produced a large volume of sculpture that was purchased by international collectors visiting Florence. Many of the sculptures handled by the gallery were copies of the original sculptures from Antiquity, as was very popular throughout the 19th century. These are still cherished today - the Galleria Lapini carving of the well-known bust of Apollo Belvedere, for example, sold at Christie's in Paris on June 30th of 2022 for 42,840 EUR (lot 7). Similarly, a bust of Cleopatra (with some loss) sold at Sotheby's, London on July 10th of 2019 for 16,250 GBP (lot 45).
Artist Listings & Bibliography:
- "Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dal Neoclassicismo al Contemporaneo." Edizioni Galleria d'Arte Moderna
- "Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani dell'Ottocento e del primo Novecento.", Alfonso Panzetta, 2003
- "Cesare Lapini: Sculptor of Emotion and Detail." Journal of Neoclassical Art Studies, vol. 12, no. 4, 2018, pp. 45-60
Measurements: 23" H x 8 3/4" D x 13 1/4" W
Condition Report:
Marble presents with grime and discolorations (including several rust stains) - we can clean the stone lightly upon request to remove surface/handling grime, but have left it largely in "as-found" condition with a nice overall patina; two large and notable chips from the socle at the front, other minor chips and nicks throughout the socle and sculpture.