Gugielmo Pugi

GUGIELMO PUGI (Italy, c. 1850 - 1915).
"Rebecca at the fountain".
Sculpture in marble and onyx.
Combines white marble, gray and Siena marble.
Measurements: 134 cm. height.

With a title inspired by a biblical theme, and that at the same time picks up on the long tradition of the genre of the water-girls, Gugielmo Pugi reaches in this sculpture a high refinement. The quality of the carving is combined with the excellence of the marble. These acquire a malleable and docile aspect, thus managing to capture the right fall of the folds, the wide draperies that arise at the waist, swirling like shells. Likewise, the graceful gesture of the hand brushing the cheek emphasizes the dazed attitude of the young woman, who bows her head to concentrate on her thoughts (on the meeting with Eliezer and what it means for her future). The facial oval, with small, harmonious features, is enveloped by a turban. The whiteness of the marble for the flesh tones contrasts with the beautiful marbling of the robe.

The biblical episode narrated the encounter between Eliezer, Abraham's servant, and Rebecca at a fountain. The hospitality that Eliezer observes in the girl gives him the certainty that she is the one chosen to join Isaac, Abraham's son.

Pugi developed his career in Florence between 1870 and 1915, the year of his death. He became famous for the bust of King Umberto I that he painted for the square dedicated to him in Fiesole, the artist's birthplace. In addition to bust portraits and classicist representations of the same genre, Pugi created figures of oriental women and mythological and allegorical subjects. He also made copies of ancient statuary for foreigners visiting Italy on the Grand Tour, which were marketed internationally by the Galleria Bazzanti, with whom Cesare Lapini and Ferdinando Vichi also worked. He also participated in various exhibitions. He developed a language that reveals a certain influence of neoclassicism, although less rigorous and endowed with a greater grace and sensuality, very much in line with fin-de-siècle art. As his prestige grew, Pugi expanded his workshop with the help of his sons, and his business became known as Guglielmo Pugi e Figli. His production was extensive, both in Carrara marble and in other more economical materials such as alabaster or terracotta. Today Guglielmo Pugi is represented in the Museum of Volterra, among others.