1910s Florentine Art Plaster Co. Philadelphia Polychrome “Unknown Woman” Renaissance Bust

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1910s Florentine Art Plaster Co. Philadelphia Polychrome “Unknown Woman” Renaissance Bust

A wonderfully atmospheric early-20th-century polychrome plaster bust produced by … Read more 1910s Florentine Art Plaster Co. Philadelphia Polychrome “Unknown Woman” Renaissance Bust

A wonderfully atmospheric early-20th-century polychrome plaster bust produced by the Florentine Art Plaster Company of Philadelphia after a Renaissance sculpture historically attributed to Donatello.

The female sitter is modeled in Renaissance dress with delicately rendered features and retains a beautifully aged polychrome surface in muted tones of ivory, rose, blue and green. The time-softened painted finish gives the sculpture considerably more character than an unpainted academic plaster cast.

This model is documented in the Florentine Art Plaster Company's period catalogue as No. 132, “Unknown Woman. By Donatello.” The inscription on the sculpture preserves that historical attribution.

Founded in Philadelphia in 1900 by Italian immigrant Joseph Mazzoni, the Florentine Art Plaster Company specialized in sculptural reproductions after antique, Renaissance and modern works for homes, schools and institutions. Its extensive early-20th-century catalogues offered thousands of subjects drawn from important works of European sculpture.

The sculpture retains its period maker identification and is an appealing surviving example of the American enthusiasm for Renaissance art and museum-quality plaster reproductions during the early 20th century.

Florentine Art Plaster Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, circa 1910s.

Approximately 8.5"W × 4"D × 9"H.

Condition: Good antique condition with an aged, time-softened polychrome surface and expected wear consistent with age. Areas of rubbing, small losses and surface irregularities contribute to its historic character. Please see photographs for detailed condition. See less