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Lot Essay
The figure of the market woman can be linked to the style of Angelo Viva, who was active toward the end of the 18th and into the 19th Century, or his master Giuseppe Sanmartino. Female facial types by Viva can be characterized by their idealized Neoclassical profile, while Sanmartino's female facial types have a rounder face with loosely modelled hair. This figure is also noteworthy for the remarkable state of its costume, which is lined with 18th Century ink written paper.
Another of the caricature types found in most Neapolitan presepe is the 'Gouty Woman'. In their attempt to create a microcosm of the human experience in all of its glories and miseries, the figure-modellers went to extraordinary lengths to include precisely detailed representations of the destitute and infirm. Other figures of woman with gout include one illustrated in A. Griffo, Ibid, p. 131, and another sold these Rooms, 28 January 1998, part lot 180.
Although it is not possible to attribute the figure of the 'Elderly Courtesan' with any certitude at this point, the quality of the modelling and richness of detail in her wrinkled and toothless face certainly make her one of the most highly individualized figures in the present collection. The large figure of a townsman can be compared with another with similiar pose, dress and facial type from the 19th Century, sold Christie's Milan, 25 November 1999, lot 292.
Another of the caricature types found in most Neapolitan presepe is the 'Gouty Woman'. In their attempt to create a microcosm of the human experience in all of its glories and miseries, the figure-modellers went to extraordinary lengths to include precisely detailed representations of the destitute and infirm. Other figures of woman with gout include one illustrated in A. Griffo, Ibid, p. 131, and another sold these Rooms, 28 January 1998, part lot 180.
Although it is not possible to attribute the figure of the 'Elderly Courtesan' with any certitude at this point, the quality of the modelling and richness of detail in her wrinkled and toothless face certainly make her one of the most highly individualized figures in the present collection. The large figure of a townsman can be compared with another with similiar pose, dress and facial type from the 19th Century, sold Christie's Milan, 25 November 1999, lot 292.