Giuseppe Renda (1862-1939) studied under Toma, Lista and Solari. He executed monuments and portrait busts, but specialised primarily in bronze statuettes in an Art Nouveau style. He exhibited internationally, winning prizes and acclaim for his images of sensuous maidens, though these were later considered licentious by the Fascist regime. The present bust reveals Renda's taste for the Continental Belle Epoque, with its stylish treatment of the moustache, summary and asymmetric shoulders and elegant moulded socle. Though a fashionable bronze, Renda has skilfully combined sensitive portraiture with the decorative, particularly in the delicately lined eyes, strong nose and upward tilt to the head.