A. Cataldi - Statue, Mietitrice con spighe e falcetto - 35 cm - Earthenware

Beautiful statue of a Reaper in polychrome terracotta, modeled or mold-cast, finished and patinated in cold with metallic and waxy pigments to imitate ancient bronze.
Era: Early 1900s in the style of 19th-century Realism with evident influences of Art Nouveau (known in Italy as Liberty) due to the sinuous flow of the drapery and the naturalistic patina. The visible signature is A. Cataldi /Gataldi and the date unfortunately not legible.
Conditions: without breaks or repairs, small signs of time such as slight patina loss on exposed areas, such as the bonnet.
The work powerfully celebrates with plastic dignity the dignity and pride of farming life. The figure represents a young peasant woman (Reaper) in a standing pose: under her right arm she clutches a tight bundle of freshly harvested wheat ears, while in her left hand she firmly grips a small sickle for harvesting.
The terracotta workmanship allows appreciation of details modeled with excellent softness, particularly in the wide sleeves of the blouse and in the heavy drapery of the skirt stirred by the wind. To further enhance the sculpture is the refined contemporaneous polychrome patination with a metallic effect, enriched by antique green hues and brown reflections that masterfully simulate the rendering of cast bronze.