Male Bust Marble Italy 1838 John Anthony Emanuelli

Male bust in white marble, signed and dated “G. EMANUELI F. / 1838 \". The sculpture depicts a man with a voluminous ring-shaped tuft above his high forehead, while the abundant face, with its characteristic dimple on the chin, is framed by two thick favorites. The austere attitude and the severe gaze rigidly fixed on an unspecified point in the distance fall within the typology of the celebratory marble portrait, recalling the heroic atmosphere of the early 19th century. The rich clothing, certainly aimed at the encomiastic depiction of the portrayed, reflects the fashion of the time: a shirt with a stand-up collar, on which a brooch with the singular shape of an “8” Ouroboros is pinned at the height of the chest. Around his neck he wears a knotted tie, while on his shoulders, to wrap the figure, a luxurious cloak trimmed with fur; interesting is the drapery of the mantle which elegantly resolves the half-length cut of the sculpture.