Pugi Sculpture Angel Love Butterfly Psyche Antique Alabaster 19th Century

Psyche with butterfly, winged angel in alabaster signed Pugi, 19th century Italian sculpture

Large sculpture signed Pugi featuring a delicate winged Psyche, seated on a rocky knoll, in a supple, restrained movement. The butterfly on the arm identifies the subject: this is a decorative variation on Psyche, the figure of the soul in classical iconography. The bowed head, suspended hand gesture, dangling leg and outstretched wings create an elegant silhouette that is both graceful and meditative. The whole offers a remarkable decorative presence, with a beautiful format and immediate readability.

This work is fully in keeping with the late 19th-century Italian taste for mythological subjects. Pugi's style blends idealized naturalism, academic softness and a quest for fluid movement. The modelling of the flesh is particularly meticulous, with a satin-finish polish and a beautiful delicacy in the face, hands and wings. The contrast between the smooth body and the freer rocky base enlivens the whole. The subject can be likened to the great sculptural interpretations of Psyche circulating in the 19th century, in the wake of the immense success of Canova and his variants around Psyche and Love, as well as the numerous Psyche with butterfly from European sculpture and decorative arts. Here, the treatment remains more intimate and decorative, with a very Florentine grace.

Good overall condition. Please note: a few chips on a nail of the left foot and on the right wing. Slight traces of use and small marks compatible with the material. Pugi signature visible on the back on the base. See photos.

Dimensions: height 52 cm, width 26 cm, depth 24 cm