Venice, 17th Century, Moretto

Venice, 17th century

Moretto

Polychrome and gilded wood, cm alt. 170

The fascination for the Middle Eastern culture, evident in the sculptural production representing Moretti and Odalisque, acquires in this example of the 17th century Venetian school a wide charge of exoticism. The brunette, dressed in beautiful golden dresses and richly decorated, is caught in a disjointed pose, while he seems to point a step forward with his right foot, counterbalancing himself at the same time with the opening of his arms.

Portrait with a sort of buttoned jacket at the chest with collar and wide sleeves, it presents the pelvis surrounded by a voluminous belt from which depart feathers finely inlaid, which help to invigorate and animate the central part of the sculpture, Strengthening it and visually slanting. On the head, the brunette wears a typical oriental turban, over which has been placed an additional crown with spikes.

The figure, who wears on his feet typically oriental shoes tied to the calf, is balanced on a pile of sharp rocks, in turn supported by a high vertical base octagonal.

The subtle polychromy that illuminates the black follows trembling and dazzling the full and recesses of the reliefs, stirring up appearances, as well as the visual detachment also offered by the gold compared to the dark wooden background.

The spread of reggicero moretti, reggipiano, half-round as part of furniture and similar is placed in the traditional path of self-celebration of the powers of the peninsula, praising their own military victories through a figurative instrumentalization of the image of the populations won. The present sculpture exacerbates the oriental charm of the "other" culture by choosing to represent the black man not only with local clothes but, through a cultural blend, offering the viewer the charm of the sweetened eastern world.