De Lotto, Nude Boy Bitten by a Crab, 1800s, Bronze

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Description

MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 40 cm; Width: 21 cm; Depth: 16 cm; Weight: 4.443 kg

Item :
A magnificent gilded bronze sculpture … Read more MEASUREMENTS:
Height: 40 cm; Width: 21 cm; Depth: 16 cm; Weight: 4.443 kg

Item :
A magnificent gilded bronze sculpture with a marble base, depicting a semi-naked boy being bitten by a crab. Signed on the base "De Lotto," it dates to the very early decades of the 20th century. It features a beautiful antique patina and a beautiful base of Alpine green serpentine marble. Created by Annibale De Lotto, he was particularly renowned in the Italian sculpture scene between the 19th and 20th centuries for his figurative works of exceptional anatomical realism, sculptural dynamism, and subjects inspired by everyday life at sea and in the Venetian lagoon. This is Annibale De Lotto's most famous and widely marketed bronze sculpture, known by various titles, including "Boy Bitten by the Crab," "Seminude Boy Bitten by the Crab," or simply "The Crab." It is made in various sizes and with different bronze patinas. The work expresses a strong tension and torsion of the body, typical of the Belle Époque and genre realism.

Useful information for evaluating this item:
from our online research, we have found that the four highest auction results achieved for works by Annibale De Lotto range from €4,353 to €14,500 (excluding 25-30% commission). Our sculpture boasts a variety of auction results, ranging from €200-300 to over €6,000-7,000 depending on its size, bronze patina, and casting quality. We also found identical examples currently offered on specialized platforms and online galleries, with prices ranging from €300-500 for smaller variations to over €12,000 for larger sculptures of the same subject.

Information on the artist and/or manufacturer:
Annibale De Lotto (San Vito di Cadore, 1877 – Venice, 1932) was one of the most sensitive interpreters of Venetian plastic realism between the 19th and 20th centuries. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice under Augusto Benvenuti, the sculptor established himself on the artistic scene of the period with an immediate and vibrant realism, capable of blending the rigor of classical anatomical modeling with the psychological freshness typical of the Belle Époque. Renowned for his subjects inspired by everyday life in the lagoon and childhood, among which his absolute masterpiece, "The Boy Bitten by the Crab," an extraordinary study of torsion and instantaneous movement, De Lotto has participated in prestigious exhibitions such as the Venice Biennale and created important public works, including the War Memorial in Conegliano in 1926. Today, the superb technical quality of his lost-wax castings and the sophistication of his dark patinas make him a highly sought-after artist for international collectors and the antiques market, with works held in prestigious collections such as the Galleria Internazionale d'Arte Moderna di Ca' Pesaro in Venice. This piece has an attribution mark,
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