Marble bust

The symbolic and cultural significance of marble sculpture, as a form of self-representation, indicated the high social status of the commissioner. The use of marble, a durable material unlike more fragile, lighter, and less expensive painted works, conveyed the idea of permanence and eternal memory, a clear reference to the marble portraits of Roman antiquity. Our bust, sculpted in white marble from the first half of the 17th century, reveals remarkable sculptural technique. The figure wears a close-fitting garment with realistic folds and a central buttoning; the face is serene, the gaze expressive, appearing to directly address the viewer, communicating confidence and full awareness of their social status. The half-length effigy is Desiderio Segno, a wealthy Genoese merchant, who in 1624 held the office of Consul of the Genoese Nation in Palermo; in the same year, the Flemish painter Anthony van Dyck stayed in the city and created a painting for him, which is now preserved at the Liechtenstein Princely Collections. In the portrait, the merchant is depicted in an elegant dark suit; the canvas shows, in addition to the year 1624, Segno's age, indicated as 32 years. An artwork of value not only artistically but also documentarily, ideal for enriching spaces and creating a refined dialogue between past and present. Dimensions: height 57 cm - base 33x17 cm