Italian white, Siena and Verde Antico marble figure by Pittaluga

This sculpture depicts a young woman, sitting with her head resting in her left hand. In her right, she holds a book which is inscribed ‘1887-1912’. The woman’s nude upper body has been crafted from pure white marble, while her lap is covered with drapery crafted from green ‘Verde Antico’ marble. The figure sits on a stone and organge-yellow 'Siena' marble chair, which is set on a square stepped Siena marble base.

The work is signed on its reverse ‘PITTALUGA’, for the important Italian artist, Carlo Pittaluga, who was active in the late 19^th and early 20^th Century. Two works by this sculptor, titled ‘Nymph of the Woods’ and ‘Nymph of the Fields’ can be viewed in the National Gallery of Art in the USA. Pittaluga was a master at sculpting marble to depict beautiful young women, as demonstrated in this work.