19th C. Italian Marble Relief of Romeo & Juliet, Signed E. Fiaschi, with Base

Details

Description

19th C. Italian Marble Relief of Romeo & Juliet, signed E. Fiaschi, late 19th–early 20th century, with gray marble base. … Read more 19th C. Italian Marble Relief of Romeo & Juliet, signed E. Fiaschi, late 19th–early 20th century, with gray marble base. (2 Pieces)

This finely executed two-piece marble sculpture depicts the tragic lovers Romeo and Juliet, their youthful faces emerging in high relief from a roughly hewn ground that suggests both natural rock and the timelessness of their story. The male and female profiles lean forward in unison, gazing heavenward with an expression of longing, their shoulders enveloped by flowing drapery that doubles as a funerary shroud.

Above the figures is incised the poetic inscription:
“AMOR CONDUSSE NOI AD UNA MORTE” — “Love has led us to one death.”

This line, adapted into a Latinized Italian form, captures the essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy: two souls bound in love and united in death.

The reverse of the work bears the incised signature E. Fiaschi, identifying the sculptor as an Italian artist active in Florence and Pisa at the turn of the century. Fiaschi’s works often catered to international collectors, drawing upon both Renaissance revival themes and the Romantic fascination with doomed lovers.

Form and Symbolism
The composition takes the form of a fragment or shell-like escarpment, its broken edges contrasting with the delicate modeling of the faces. This interplay suggests both permanence and fragility: eternal stone embodying the fleeting passion of youth. The choice of translucent alabaster-like marble lends the work an ethereal glow, enhancing the lovers’ otherworldly presence.

The two-part construction—the figural relief set upon a separate gray-veined marble plinth—was a favored display format for export sculptures of the late 19th century, allowing the piece to be shown as both fine art and a decorative object.

Measurements
Sculpture alone: 12" W × 11.5" H × 3" D
With base: 16" H × 12" W × 4" D
Base: 9.75" W × 4.5" D × 4" H

Dating and Context
Circa 1880–1910, the work reflects the late Victorian and Edwardian taste for Shakespearean subjects, particularly among English and American collectors undertaking the Grand Tour. Romeo and Juliet had become emblematic of the Romantic era’s obsession with love and fate, and marble reliefs like this bridged literature, allegory, and sculpture. See less