Musei di Villa Torlonia

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Vittorio Grassi
The Idol
1918
Glass

The focus of the composition is the female figure on the right-hand side of the glass, made from pieces of bronze coloured glass.
Static and priestly, like an Egyptian divinity, the figure, with its Egyptian head covering, its rigid body and asymmetric stance, is mysteriously disquieting.
To the left, a luminous cascade of green and blue jewels seem to imitate the spray of foam of a huge wave about to submerge the figure.
Her body, as imposing as a column, creates a vertical line through the circle the wave creates, while the curve of her breasts restates that circularity.
All of the composition is informed by the strong contrast between the figure’s dark tones of brown, blue and purple and the aquamarine and emerald green of the opalescent glass, which recalls the sea.
In the bottom right, appear Vetraio’s signature, and the date of composition.

Provenance: Collezione Francesca Cassandro Nardi Mancinelli
Inventory: M CC 127
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Villa Torlonia, via Nomentana 70 - 00161 Roma Tel.: 06 82059127 E-mail: info@museivillatorlonia.it

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