Venice, 19th Century, Moretta Holding A Lantern

Venice, 19th century

Moretta holding a lantern

Wood, lacquered and gilded, cm alt. 178;

base, 50 x 56 cm

This sculpture of a lamp-holding tufted duck represents an exemplary testimony to the high Venetian craftsmanship of the 19th century, distinguishing itself for its exceptional size and a decorative profusion of rare value. Made of polychrome wood, the figure appears to the eye as a refined blend of the figure of the odalisque and that of a modern Amazon, wrapped in a tunic where an iridescent arabesque runs through the entire drapery, which falls softly over the hips to tie itself on the right in a conspicuous bow. The expert wooden workmanship is embellished with golden touches that, liquefying into two-dimensional geometric lines, reveal a meticulous love of detail, evident both in the rendering of the tonal scores and in the plastic definition of the thick necklace and matching bracelets. The figure's elegant pose, captured in a moment of delicate rest with a slightly bent leg, enhances its compositional dynamism as it juts out with a gesture offering a decorated tray and a lamp holder. The cheerful smile that illuminates its face gives the sculpture a vibrant veristic characterization, fully consistent with the inventive line of the Venetian tradition that has its roots in the 16th century.

The tradition of the Venetian Moretti has its roots in the heart of the Serenissima, between the 17th and 18th centuries, emerging as a plastic expression of the international prestige of a then dominant maritime power. Initially conceived to celebrate the military and commercial victories against the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary corsairs, these subjects transformed the figure of the "won" into a decorative element of the highest value, intended to decorate the palaces of the nobility.