Sculpture, Bozzetto di San Girolamo in memento mori - 43 cm - Earthenware
03
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Current bid
€ 375
Reserve price not met
Expert
Selected by Paula Martin-Calero Toro
Holds a degree in art history; over six years cataloguing and appraising antiques.
Estimate € 850 - € 950
 | €375 | |
|---|---|---|
 | €150 | |
 | €2 | |
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Description from the seller
Penitent Saint Jerome – rare terracotta sketch, 20th century
Important and evocative sculptural terracotta study depicting Saint Jerome in penitence, likely Italian in scope.
The composition presents the Saint according to one of his most intense and traditional iconographies: Saint Jerome is depicted as an elderly hermit, with a vigorous yet aged body, his face framed by a long beard, immersed in an attitude of deep meditation. Beside the figure appears the skull, a symbolic element linked to vanitas and reflection on the transience of earthly life.
Particularly notable is the modeling of the surface, extremely vivid and immediate. The terracotta preserves numerous traces of handwork, with energetic motions of the wire tool and fingers that give the figure a strong expressive intensity. The anatomical treatment, the torsion of the body, the dynamic drapery, and the almost rock-like construction of the base recall the plastic culture of late Italian Baroque.
The work has the typical character of a sketch, i.e., a three-dimensional model executed by the sculptor in the design phase of a broader composition. It is precisely the freedom of modeling, the irregular material and the swiftness of the gesture that represent some of the most fascinating aspects of the object.
The sculpture shows a beautiful old patina and signs of wear, small losses, craquelure and irregularities compatible with its age and with the terracotta’s very nature. These elements are clearly documented in the photographs and contribute to the work’s historical character.
Dimensions: about 43 × 20 × 18 cm.
A work with notable decorative and collecting presence, particularly interesting for collectors of ancient sculpture, Baroque art, sketches and Italian terracottas.
Proposed attribution: Italian scope
Subject: Saint Jerome in penitence
Period: 20th century
Material: terracotta
Dimensions: 43 × 20 × 18 cm
Chronological and geographical attribution is proposed on the basis of the stylistic analysis of the work
Penitent Saint Jerome – rare terracotta sketch, 20th century
Important and evocative sculptural terracotta study depicting Saint Jerome in penitence, likely Italian in scope.
The composition presents the Saint according to one of his most intense and traditional iconographies: Saint Jerome is depicted as an elderly hermit, with a vigorous yet aged body, his face framed by a long beard, immersed in an attitude of deep meditation. Beside the figure appears the skull, a symbolic element linked to vanitas and reflection on the transience of earthly life.
Particularly notable is the modeling of the surface, extremely vivid and immediate. The terracotta preserves numerous traces of handwork, with energetic motions of the wire tool and fingers that give the figure a strong expressive intensity. The anatomical treatment, the torsion of the body, the dynamic drapery, and the almost rock-like construction of the base recall the plastic culture of late Italian Baroque.
The work has the typical character of a sketch, i.e., a three-dimensional model executed by the sculptor in the design phase of a broader composition. It is precisely the freedom of modeling, the irregular material and the swiftness of the gesture that represent some of the most fascinating aspects of the object.
The sculpture shows a beautiful old patina and signs of wear, small losses, craquelure and irregularities compatible with its age and with the terracotta’s very nature. These elements are clearly documented in the photographs and contribute to the work’s historical character.
Dimensions: about 43 × 20 × 18 cm.
A work with notable decorative and collecting presence, particularly interesting for collectors of ancient sculpture, Baroque art, sketches and Italian terracottas.
Proposed attribution: Italian scope
Subject: Saint Jerome in penitence
Period: 20th century
Material: terracotta
Dimensions: 43 × 20 × 18 cm
Chronological and geographical attribution is proposed on the basis of the stylistic analysis of the work
Details
Era
1900-2000
Over 200 years old
Yes
Country of origin
Italy
Style
Antique
Material
Earthenware
Title of artwork
Bozzetto di San Girolamo in memento mori
Signature
Not signed
Colour
Brown
Condition
Fair condition
Height
43 cm
Width
20 cm
Depth
18 cm
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