047
Bust of Maria Cerri Capranica
About 1640
Attributed to Alessandro Algardi
Italian, 1598-1654
Marble
Algardi, one of the leading sculptors in Baroque-period Rome, here combined a penetrating character study with a virtuoso display of marble carving. In the sinuous string of beads, the stiff lace, and the curly ringlets of hair, the artist seemed to transform the stone into a variety of materials. At the same time, in the subtle carving of her features, he managed to invest his subject with a powerful and stately psychological presence. The coat of arms identifies her as Maria Cerri Capranica, who died at the young age of twenty-five in 1643.
047
Bust of Maria Cerri Capranica
About 1640
Attributed to Alessandro Algardi
Italian, 1598-1654
Marble
Algardi, one of the leading sculptors in Baroque-period Rome, here combined a penetrating character study with a virtuoso display of marble carving. In the sinuous string of beads, the stiff lace, and the curly ringlets of hair, the artist seemed to transform the stone into a variety of materials. At the same time, in the subtle carving of her features, he managed to invest his subject with a powerful and stately psychological presence. The coat of arms identifies her as Maria Cerri Capranica, who died at the young age of twenty-five in 1643.