DESCRIPTION: An attrib. to Giuseppe Bessi (1857-1922) Italian Renaissance style carved alabaster & marble bust depicting "Beatrice" after the character in Dante's Divine Comedy. This delicate bust is carved to show Beatrice wearing a veiled headdress, with slightly downcast eyes gazing and raised on a plinth carved base with an inscription that reads "Beatrice". Dante drew inspiration for the character from his acquaintance with Beatrice di Folco Portinari with whom he fell in love. The character, Beatrice, serves as a guide to the underworld in the Divine Comedy. The head of this bust was executed in alabaster, and the torso is carved from coloured marble. Her delicate, serene features plus the folds of her hair and headscarf convey the mastery of the artist.

Giuseppe Bessi (1857-1922) was one of the most important representatives of Italian salon sculpture. In his work he combined forms of Neoclassicism and Art Nouveau . He learned his craft at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence. He founded his own workshop in Volterra, Italy, in 1879, where he worked in alabaster, marble and bronze.


CIRCA: 19th Century.
ORIGIN: Italy.
DIMENSIONS: H: 14 1/4" W: 11 1/4" D: 6 3/4".

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CONDITION: Great condition. See lot description for details on item condition. More detailed condition requests can be obtained via email (info@akibaantiques.com) or SMS(305)-332-9274. Any condition statement given, as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Akiba Antiques shall have no responsibility for any error or omission."