Veiled Rebecca
The Veiled Rebecca | |
---|---|
Italian: Rebecca Velata | |
Artist | Giovanni Maria Benzoni |
Year | 1863 |
Type | Sculpture |
Medium | Marble |
Dimensions | 160 cm × 58 cm × 50 cm (64 in × 23 in × 19.5 in) |
The Veiled Rebecca or The Veiled Rebekah is a 19th century sculpture carved out of marble in
Originally several copies of the sculpture were made by Benzoni in two different sizes. Presently, location of five sculptures are identified -
The stature was described in an 19th-century English art journal: "Benzoni, the fashionable Roman sculptor, whose studio has been visited by a number of crowned heads, exhibits in his suite of showrooms, several replicas in different sizes of his Diana, his veiled Rebecca before her meeting with Isaac, the 'Four Seasons', etc."[8]
Description
Benzoni executed principal version of the work in 1863 for Robert Henry Winttie of London.[4]The sculpture depicts an Old Testament scene, where Rebecca lays eyes on her husband Isaac for the first time. [3] Rebecca's head is bowed and her gaze is lowered as she secures her veil indicating demure modesty, although her other hand partially opens up in a welcoming gesture.[5]The fringed veil drapes over her face, head and shoulder, and dangled unevenly above her feet. Her translucent attire further highlights the contour of her body.The illusion of a diaphanous veil and clinging dress created by the craftsmanship of Benzoni are the most noteworthy and skillful aspects of the sculpture.[6]
History
As per the records of a bulletin from Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Michigan, 37 versions of the composition was made in two sizes[9] whereas Historical Dictionary of Neoclassical Art and Architecture by Alison Lee Palmer states that there are five copies of the sculpture.[10] Location of the five versions of the statues mentioned by Alison Lee Palmer have been mentioned above.
Salarjung I Mir Turab Ali Khan Bahadur acquired the sculpture during his trip to Italy in Rome. During the same visit, he also acquired the famous wooden sculpture, Mephistopheles and Margaretta. The Veiled Rebecca was displayed was originally displayed in the Chini Khana inside the Dewan Devdi, Hyderabad. Chini Khana was a unique room, where all the walls were covered with antique Chinese plates, cups, saucers and silver plates displayed in shelves. [11] In 1951, the Devdi was converted into Salarjung Museum and the sculpture stood in its original position, but in 1968, it was moved into the new Salarjung Museum and Dewan Devdi was gradually demolished over the years.[12]
Style
The Veiled Rebecca is an example of the neoclassical naturalist style, popular during the 19th century.
Veiled women were a popular sculptural motif among Benzoni and his peers in 19th-century Italy for a number of reasons. The first was that these works highlighted the artistry of the sculptor since achieving the illusion that stone is fabric clinging to a body requires a high level of skill. Secondly, a veiled woman had become an allegory for
Gallery
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Detail of the statue at the Salar Jung Museum
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The Veiled Rebekah at the High Museum of Art
See also
- Vestal Virgin Tuccia, 1743 sculpture
- Modesty, 1752 sculpture
- Veiled Christ, 1753 sculpture
- Veiled Vestal 1847 sculpture
- The Veiled Virgin, mid-19th century sculpture
- The Veiled Nun, c. 1863 sculpture
Notes
- ISSN 0011-9636.
- ^ "The Veiled Rebekah". High Museum of Art. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ a b "Sculpture". Bershire Museum. Archived from the original on December 7, 2011. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ a b "The Veiled Lady". Detroit Institute of Arts. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ a b "Veiled Rebekah". Museums of India. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ^ a b "Creativity redefined: Founders of Cedarhurst Center for the Arts bestowed an appreciation of fine art". Life & Style in Southern Illinois. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- ISSN 0011-9636.
- ^ MH 1872, p. 132.
- ISSN 0011-9636.
- ISBN 978-1-5381-3359-0.
- ISBN 978-93-5305-677-3.
- ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ^ "The Veiled Rebekah". High Museum of Art. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
- ISSN 0011-9636.
- ^ Richman-Abdou, Kelly (January 27, 2019). "Exquisite 19th-Century Sculpture Cloaked in a 'Translucent' Marble Veil". My Modern Met. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
References
- MH (1872). "Art in Rome, 1872". The Art-Journal. 34. London: George Virtue: 131–132. Retrieved 2019-10-01.
- Petrucci, Francesco, ed. (2005). Papi In Posa: 500 Years of Papal Portraiture. Gangemi Editore. ISBN 8849208766.