A STUNNING AND MOST ELEGANT ITALIAN 19TH CENTURY ALABASTER SCULPTURE OF CROUCHING VENUS. SIGNED GIUSEPPE BESSI (1857-1922).

The statue is sculpted out of one solid piece of alabaster and set on a rectangular base with cut corners and a fine like ground design.

The beautiful Venus is crouched on one knee while sitting on a fallen amphora, leaning slightly forward with her right arm reaching over her left shoulder.

The whole is raised by its original alabaster pedestal column with a fluted design.

Wonderful attention to detail throughout.

In the world of sculpture, few works capture the imagination and evoke a sense of timeless beauty like the crouching Venus.

Among the notable renditions of this ancient masterpiece, the present figure stands out as a testament to the skill and artistry of its creator Giuseppe Bessi, exuding a remarkable sense of harmony and balance.

"The Crouching Venus" was a Roman sculpture believed to have been created around the 1st Century BCE, inspired by earlier Hellenistic works.

Venus the goddess of love and beauty held immense importance in ancient Roman society, making this sculpture a significant representation of cultural and mythological beliefs of that era.

Bessi's attention to anatomical accuracy evident in graceful curves and soft contours of the figure, lending a naturalistic quality to the sculpture, the alabaster itself seems to come alive under his skilled hands, radiating a sense of fluidity and movement.

It's presence serves as a reminder to the enduring appeal of classical art and the transformative power of sculpture in capturing the essence of beauty.

In his "Naturalis Historia" the Roman author Pliny The Elder, describes a statue of Venus herself, made by Doidalses and placed in one of the temples of the Portico d'Ottavia in Rome.

Dimensions  

Sculpture: 65 High cm

Pedestal: 110 high cm