147 - Italian school, late 19th–early 20th century.

Italian school, late 19th–early 20th century. “Bust of a Girl.” Bronze sculpture with a marble base. Measurements: 27 x 20 cm (34 cm with base). Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. The bust depicts a young woman, a girl, with a pensive and melancholic expression. Her facial features are gentle, with rounded yet balanced contours. The young woman wears a simple dress with a V-neckline; the fabric clings to her body, revealing her figure. Her hair is parted in the middle and gathered into two long braids that accentuate her youth. A scarf partially covers her head, indicating her humble status—likely that of a peasant girl. The idealized depiction of ordinary people, especially those from rural areas, was common throughout the second half of the 19th century, when, following the Romantic movement, interest was rekindled in the national roots of the people and their folklore—which was gradually being lost with industrialization but remained preserved among the rural population.