“Harlequin” evokes the world of theatre and masquerade, one of the recurring motifs of European decorative sculpture of the Art Deco period. The slender figure in a stage costume is defined by a sharp, somewhat angular design. Bronze conveys the complex texture of the clothing, while the pale ivory of the face and exposed parts of the body stands out through its smoother finish. The tall marble base heightens the theatrical character of the image.

Alfred Gilbert was one of the leading representatives of the British “New Sculpture,” a late-19th-century movement that sought to bring greater movement, naturalism and expressiveness to academic sculpture.

minimize...