Sculpture, Busto Anima dannata - 43 cm - Earthenware

Baroque male bust in patinated terracotta – Roman area

Important male bust in patinated terracotta, characterized by extraordinary expressive intensity and a strongly theatrical modeling.

The figure presents the face contracted into a powerful expression of pain, fury or astonishment: forehead deeply furrowed, hollowed eyes, mouth wide open and the hairstyle built through wide, moving and plastically raised locks. The whole fully conveys the dramatic taste of Roman Baroque sculpture of the 17th century.

For stylistic characteristics and quality of modeling, the work can be traced to the Roman area of the second half of the seventeenth century, in the Bernini circle, even though it is not accompanied by attributional documentation that would allow to attribute it with certainty to a specific workshop or author.

Particularly interesting is the contrast between the strong definition of the face and the hairstyle and the rougher workmanship of the back and the lower part, an element compatible with the original function of a modello, sculpture for a collection, or an element destined for a predominantly frontal viewing.

The work comes from an Italian private collection and, according to the provenance handed down, belonged to the collection of a priest born at the end of the 19th century, a collector of art and ancient objects.

Material: patinated terracotta
Area: Rome, Bernini circle
Dimensions: height 43 cm, width 23 cm, depth 20 cm
Provenance: Italian private collection

The surface shows wear, irregularities, traces of time and ancient interventions consistent with the age and nature of the work. The photographs are an integral part of the description.

A work of strong stage presence, particularly suitable for a collection of ancient sculpture, Baroque art, or Wunderkammer.