20th Century Majolica Bust of a Girl by Pietro Melandri for Matteucci, Italy

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Item Description:
A stunning sculpture depicting the bust of a little girl, made of glazed terracotta with a lustrous finish, … Read more Item Description:
A stunning sculpture depicting the bust of a little girl, made of glazed terracotta with a lustrous finish, in a neo-impressionist style, with soft lines and not overly defined, resting on a wooden base with a brass label bearing the inscription "Domenico Matteucci." Created by the famous ceramist Pietro Melandri based on a design by Mario Morelli for the Domenico Matteucci factory, the two artists collaborated with this Faenza-based manufacturer in the second half of the 20th century.

Useful information for evaluating the item:
To give an idea of the value of this sculpture, we have included, in the last photos, the same bust, but with a different glaze, more full-bodied and compact, in the classic style of Melandri-Focaccia manufacturing and with a more evident luster, created by Pietro Melandri based on a design by Morelli and valued in 2007 at €2,000, considering that we are talking about almost 20 years ago. The same sculpture was created, again by Melandri, when he was collaborating with the Matteucci factory in the second half of the 20th century, but with a lighter, simpler, and softer glaze than the previous one, more similar to the one that was in vogue in the 1950s, which was usually used by the Matteucci factory. Finally, our research shows that the four highest auction results achieved by Pietro Melandri's works in the 'sculptures-volume' category range from €6,000 to €16,000, while in the 'objects' category, the four highest results range from €5,500 to €30,700, This gives an idea of the importance of the ceramics created by this artist.

Information about the artist and/or manufacturer:
Painter, decorator, set designer, and ceramist Pietro Melandri was born in Faenza in 1885. Considered one of the leading figures in 20th-century Italian ceramics, he achieved numerous auction successes and won many artistic awards and honors. Pietro Melandri remained active until the age of 86 and died in Faenza in 1976. Melandri's kiln continued to produce pieces based on his molds until 1986. In the last photos, we have included additional information about the artist and Domenico Matteucci's factory, highlighting the fact that both Pietro Melandri and Mario Morelli collaborated with Matteucci's factory in the second half of the 20th century.


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