BUST OF FEMALE SAINT
carved and gilded wood
The sculpture features the bust of a woman, dressed in a cloak beneath which we can see the shape of her breasts. Its reformed classicist style suggests a date at the end of the 16th century, or rather, the beginning of the following century. The hairstyle of the woman, with her curly, flowing locks parted in the centre of her head, directs the stylistic analysis towards Roman sculpture of the period.
This is very probably the bust of a saint that formed part of a potentially very large series, as was particularly fashionable in central Italy at the time, and can be identified as a martyr. It is possible that it may have had a base containing a relic, making other details for identifying her superfluous.
Central Italy sculptor, 17th century
cm 60 h