Original Terracotta Group Signed G. Vaccaro (caltagirone, 1793–1889) – Mother And Child

A 19th-century Sicilian terracotta group, Caltagirone school, signed G. Vaccaro, in the tradition of Italian folk realism as practiced by Vincenzo Gemito and Achille D’Orsi.

This original terracotta piece, entirely hand-modeled, depicts a peasant mother holding her young child, accompanied by a goat.
The scene, rendered with great naturalism, shows the mother wearing clogs, an embroidered shawl, and a knotted turban from which curls of hair escape. She smiles at the child she holds in her arms; the child, with his highly articulated features, seems to be trying to free himself while looking at the animal, whose head is raised towards him. The complex interplay of bodies and arms, treated with great freedom, reveals a direct modeling, incompatible with mass-produced molds. The irregular base is hand-modeled. The signature “G. Vaccaro” is incised into the clay. The presence of an impressed merchant's stamp “J. BACH & CROCE – NAPOLI” attests to a Neapolitan distribution network in the 19th century. Artist: G. Vaccaro (1793–1889), a sculptor originally from Caltagirone (Sicily), is representative of the great Sicilian tradition of figurative terracotta, heir to both folk art and scholarly sculpture. His work is distinguished by the quality of the modeling, the expressiveness of the figures, and a limited production, consisting primarily of original pieces or unique variations, created without the use of molds, which explains their rarity. The meticulous execution and the complexity of the compositions preclude any mass production. Characteristics: Height: 24.5 cm; Material: Original terracotta, hand-modeled; Signature: Incised “G. Vaccaro”; Maker's mark: Impressed stamp “J. Bach & Croce – Napoli”; Condition: Perfect condition, without losses, cracks, or restorations; sound and stable terracotta. A work of high sculptural quality, typical of 19th-century Sicilian production, combining tenderness of subject matter, technical virtuosity, and rarity. A collector's item, far superior to common decorative terracotta pieces, intended for a connoisseur of Italian sculpture or 19th-century art.