Bust of a Young Man
Bust
first half of eighteenth century (carved)
first half of eighteenth century (carved)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This striking life size bust of a young man of African descent is carved in coloured marble, black marble for the head and yellow-pink marble for the tunic which is also ornated with Venetian glass buttons. Traces of red paint found on the lips added to the realism of the portrait while the intensity of his gaze is accentuated by inserts of mother of pearl to represent the white of the eyes. The powerful expression of the man conveys confidence and strength.
The bust was produced in Venice at the end of the 17th or at the beginning of the 18th century and probably ornated a patrician palace, possibly placed in a circular niche. This identity of the sitter and the original context of the commission however remain unknown. The tunic with frogged fastening is similar to those in Eastern Europe, or even more to those inspired by the Ottoman style. This type of tunic seems to have been commonly used for servants at the time.
Although, Africans were often portrayed as servants or sometimes as personifications of the continent of Africa in eighteenth-century Europe, the personal nature of this bust suggests it was a specific portrayal rather than a generic depiction.
The bust was produced in Venice at the end of the 17th or at the beginning of the 18th century and probably ornated a patrician palace, possibly placed in a circular niche. This identity of the sitter and the original context of the commission however remain unknown. The tunic with frogged fastening is similar to those in Eastern Europe, or even more to those inspired by the Ottoman style. This type of tunic seems to have been commonly used for servants at the time.
Although, Africans were often portrayed as servants or sometimes as personifications of the continent of Africa in eighteenth-century Europe, the personal nature of this bust suggests it was a specific portrayal rather than a generic depiction.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Bust of a Young Man (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved coloured marbles |
| Brief description | Bust, coloured marbles, of a Young Man, Italy (Venice), first half 18th century |
| Physical description | Marble bust of a young man wearing a tunic with frogged fastening decorated with glass buttons, some of which are replacements. The grey-black marble head has closely cropped hair and eyes inlaid with mother of pearl. The tunic is made from a pinkish-yellow marble and the bust is mounted on a 19th-century green marble socle. The bust is hollowed out behind, and at the back is an old metal ring for fixing. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | |
| Object history | Purchased in Florence (Gagliardi) in 1869. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This striking life size bust of a young man of African descent is carved in coloured marble, black marble for the head and yellow-pink marble for the tunic which is also ornated with Venetian glass buttons. Traces of red paint found on the lips added to the realism of the portrait while the intensity of his gaze is accentuated by inserts of mother of pearl to represent the white of the eyes. The powerful expression of the man conveys confidence and strength. The bust was produced in Venice at the end of the 17th or at the beginning of the 18th century and probably ornated a patrician palace, possibly placed in a circular niche. This identity of the sitter and the original context of the commission however remain unknown. The tunic with frogged fastening is similar to those in Eastern Europe, or even more to those inspired by the Ottoman style. This type of tunic seems to have been commonly used for servants at the time. Although, Africans were often portrayed as servants or sometimes as personifications of the continent of Africa in eighteenth-century Europe, the personal nature of this bust suggests it was a specific portrayal rather than a generic depiction. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 451-1869 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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