Giorgio Rossi, Head Of A Young Boy In Terracotta, Height 31 Cm. Ca 1920-30

Giorgio Rossi, Head of a Young Boy in Terracotta, height 31 cm

Hand-modeled in light terracotta, this sculpture likely dates to the 1920s or 1930s. It belongs to a phase in which Giorgio Rossi (San Piero a Sieve, 1892 – Florence, 1963) developed a personal language, distinct from both late 19th-century naturalism and avant-garde experimentation.

The boy’s face is built upon simplified, carefully controlled volumes. Features are delicately suggested: the gaze is quiet, the lips gently parted. Rather than a portrait, the sculpture offers an idealized vision of childhood, rendered with composure and formal restraint.

The surface retains a uniform matte patina typical of untreated terracotta. Subtle irregularities reveal the traces of manual modeling, enhancing the interplay of form and incident light. The work occupies a space between the measured harmony of the Tuscan Quattrocento and a modern sensibility that is sober and introspective.

Condition
Very good. The original patina is intact. Minor signs of age are consistent with the medium and period.

Provenance
Directly from the artist’s family collection.

Exhibitions (artist’s participation)
– Società di Belle Arti, Florence, 1906, 1912–13, 1916–18
– Mostra d’Arte Sacra, Venice, 1920
– Prince Umberto Prize, La Permanente, Milan, 1925
– Venice Biennale, 1930 and 1936
– Le voci di dentro. La scultura di Giorgio Rossi, Ente Cassa di Risparmio, Florence, 2010
– Volti dal passato, Palazzo Medici Riccardi, Florence, 2013

Published in a monograph dedicated to the artist.