Terracotta Bust Of Judith By Ricardo Aurilli, Circa 1900-1910

Superb polychrome terracotta bust representing an ancient woman with a proud look carrying a dagger. Sculpture of good quality, whether in terms of the hairstyle, the face, the draping of the clothes and the dagger. We find the inscription "Judith" at the base, and the signature "Rdo Aurilli" on the side. The woman represented is Judith, a biblical character whose exploits are recounted in the “Book of Judith”. The story goes that this young Jewish widow seduced and then beheaded General Holofernes to free her city which was besieged by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Art Nouveau, circa 1900-1910. By Ricardo Aurilli / Richard Aurili (1864-1943), Italian sculptor active in France and Belgium. First trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence where he became friends with Raffaello Romanelli, he worked in Brussels in the 1880s then in Paris in the 1890s. He participated in the Universal Exhibition of 1900, then returned to Florence where he became a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts. In good general condition, small surface defects (light, see photos). Dimensions: height 52 cm width 37 cm depth 30 cm