XX century, Rococo, Sculptural of Lady and Gentleman on Horseback in Biscuit Porcelain by Luigi Fabris, early decades of the 1900s, Venice - Italy.

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A wonderful, extremely dynamic sculpture depicting galloping horses with a lady and gentleman in 18th-century clothing, with the … Read more Item description:
A wonderful, extremely dynamic sculpture depicting galloping horses with a lady and gentleman in 18th-century clothing, with the lady riding side-saddle and the gentleman attempting to stop the woman's runaway horse. Made of fine porcelain biscuit by the important Venetian ceramist Luigi Fabris, in 18th-century Rococo style, signed under the base L Fabris in red and still red. The sculpture is very similar to the Venetian artistic productions of Geminiano Cozzi, who always inspired Fabris, as can be clearly seen from the faces of the two subjects, which bear the clear mark of traditional Venetian porcelain sculptures. The horses' trimmings are made with small copper strips, the stirrups are in enameled copper, and extreme attention has been paid to detail, the faces, the musculature of the horses, and the flowers under the base, all fabulously executed.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Sculptor and ceramist born in Bassano del Grappa on August 23, 1883, he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice under Antonio Dal Zotto. In 1911, after working as a modeler at Passarin, he began his career as a ceramics entrepreneur by taking over the old Bassano factory where he had been employed. In his workshop, he created exquisite porcelain figurines depicting knights and ladies in 18th-century costume, which soon made him famous on the market. In 1917, after the defeat at Caporetto, he sold Passarin to Agostinelli & dal Prà and found himself a refugee in Milan, where he opened a new ceramics factory called Fabris Ceramiche. His porcelain works became increasingly successful both in Italy and abroad. In the 1920s, Luigi Fabris was elected Head of the Ceramics Community of Lombardy and appointed Member of the Fascist Experimental Institute of Ceramics. In 1929, he presented his porcelain production at the Leipzig Fair, where he achieved significant commercial success. In 1942, the factory in Milan was completely destroyed by bombing, and after the war, Luigi Fabris returned to Bassano del Grappa, his hometown, where he re-established his factory. His production consists of statuettes of ladies, knights, and gallant scenes with characters in 18th-century clothing, and the works are marked with an anchor similar to that used in the 18th century by the "Cozzi" factory. Luigi Fabris died in his hometown in 1952, leaving the factory to his son Augusto, who ran it until 1979 when he sold it to the Elite company, which also acquired the rights to reproduce the historical pieces. The great success achieved by this artist is further confirmed by a beautiful anecdote. Luigi Fabris was invited by the famous Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio to commission eight sculptures based on the poet's drawings. Benito Mussolini, visiting the Vittoriale, a villa on the shores of Lake Garda, Gabriele D'Annunzio's last home before his death, was envious of this commission and ordered Luigi Fabris to create a full-length sculpture of him. The artist was then called a second time to commission a sculpture of the Duce on horseback to be created in Rome. When work began, however, a catacomb was found underground and work was interrupted. The sculpture was never completed, and only a sketch of the work remained.

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