Italian school, ca. 1700

Italian school, ca. 1700.
"Male portrait".
Relief in Carrara marble.
On iron base.
Measurements: 39 x 29,5 cm.

This relief in Carrara marble presents the noble and idealized profile of a character of ca. 1700, although conceived with a classicist aesthetic, evoking the sculptural tradition of Ancient Greece and Rome. His features are balanced and harmonious, with a straight and well-delineated nose, closed lips with a serene expression and a softly marked chin. Her gaze, although sculpted in bas-relief, seems to be projected with an air of introspection or authority. The wavy half-length hair, delicately sculpted, falls with a natural movement, reminiscent of portraits of Greek philosophers or Roman emperors. The curls are arranged in soft locks, without decorative excesses, reinforcing the neoclassical air. The toga or cloak is barely insinuated by a fragment of draped attire. The 18th century, in the midst of Neoclassicism, sought to revive classical aesthetics with academic precision. This type of relief may have been influenced by portraits in Roman cameos, by effigies on ancient coins, or even by the work of sculptors such as Antonio Canova, who perfected the fusion of the ancient and the modern. It is likely that this relief, rather than portraying a character, is a statement of the ideals of reason and harmony.