A small terracotta bust of Flora, 19th century

19th century, possibly German
Bust of a young woman as Flora
Terracotta, on integral socle
Inscribed/dated on left shoulder: 'G. E. 1876' with old inventory number ‘65’
19.5 cm. / 7 ¾ ins high


This diminutive yet captivating bust of a classical young female subject wearing a garland of flowers is a fine example of terracotta modelling on a small scale, exhibiting stylistic influences from both nineteenth-century Neoclassical and eighteenth-century Rococo sculpture.

The garland of flowers, elaborate all’antica hairstyle and idealised facial features suggest that the bust depicts a young lady in the guise of a classical deity, such as Flora, the Roman goddess of Spring. Although no author has been confirmed, the initials ‘G.E.’ may identify it with the German Romantic sculptor Gustav Eberlein (1847-1926), who studied in Rome in the early 1870s and whose mature works, such as his Boy with a Thorn (1879-86, Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin) demonstrate both classical training and Rococo influences.

RELATED LITERATURE:
Adolf Rosenberg, 'Eberlein'. Bielefeld and Leipzig, 1903, pp. 4-5, figs 1-2