The flower seller resembles a heroine from a fashion illustration of the first decades of the 20th century. She pauses with a basket of flowers at her elbow and raises a small rose to her face. The freely falling dress with deep folds creates an elongated silhouette, while the richly gilded bronze contrasts sharply with the pale ivory of the face and hands. Particular attention is given to textures: fine grooves in the fabric, relief decoration on the belt and hem, flowers in the basket and the curls of the short hairstyle turn the small figure into a carefully elaborated decorative image. The combination of bronze and ivory – the chryselephantine technique – was especially popular in European salon sculpture of the early 20th century. The inscription “Salon de Beaux Arts Paris A. Gori” on the back of the dress links the work with the Parisian artistic milieu and the oeuvre of Affortunato Gory.

minimize...