Vincenzo Gemito, Art Nouveau bronze sculpture titled La Sibilla, 19th Century, Naples Italy

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Item description:
Partially gilded bronze sculpture, bust depicting an elderly gypsy woman wearing a headdress, signed "Gemito" on the back. … Read more Item description:
Partially gilded bronze sculpture, bust depicting an elderly gypsy woman wearing a headdress, signed "Gemito" on the back. Created in Naples towards the end of the 19th century by Vincenzo Gemito, entitled "La Sibilla" (The Sibyl), with a beautiful antique patina.
The artistic quality of the sculpture is remarkable. Note the attention to detail in the face with its numerous wrinkles, its expressiveness, a slight grimace on the mouth due to the jaw protruding forward and the upper part of the mouth receding, as often happens with elderly women. The protruding collarbones are clearly visible, the breasts emptied by age, the lighter-colored skin, made rough with a very high-quality finish in stark contrast to the smooth, darker headdress, all depicting an elderly woman, a gypsy exposed to the elements and marked by time.

Useful information for evaluating the item:
An internet search shows that Vincenzo Gemito has numerous auction results, with the four highest ranging from €47,600 to €101,000 plus auction fees of 25-30%. In addition, we found the same sculpture, "La Sibilla," sold at a smaller auction house, Della Rocca in Turin, in 2018 for €2,952 including auction fees, and another one offered for sale on a major art and antiques sales platform for over €2,500.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Vincenzo Gemito (Naples, July 16, 1852 – Naples, March 1, 1929) was an Italian sculptor, draftsman, and goldsmith. Largely self-taught and intolerant of academic conventions, Gemito trained himself by drawing inspiration from the alleys of Naples' historic center and the sculptures in the archaeological museum. His prolific artistic activity, which brought him to the height of success at the Paris Salons in 1876-77, was interrupted by an intimate intellectual crisis, which led him to seclude himself from the world for eighteen years. He resumed public life only in 1909, passing away twenty years later. Gemiti's work includes vigorous drawings, terracotta figures, and a large number of sculptures, all depicting Neapolitan folk scenes with great pictorial intensity. His major works include Pescatorello, Acquaiolo (the original silver cast is in the Cenedese Museum in Vittorio Veneto), the statue of Charles V on the façade of the Royal Palace in Naples, Zingara, and his self-portraits.


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