Young woman with jug, Carrara marble, signed Bonnal, early 20th century

Charming sculpture of a young woman carrying a jug, signed by Bonnal on the back and inspired by “Rebecca at the Well” by 19th-century Italian School artist Guglielmo Pugi.

The sculpture in fine white Carrara marble, created between the end of the 19ᵉ century and the beginning of the 20ᵉ century, depicts a pensive, lascivious young woman dressed in the fashion of the turn of the century: she wears a turban from which escapes curls of hair and a bracelet characteristic of the period; the cut of her dress is also very elaborate for a simple peasant woman. The finely embroidered motifs on the dress and turban are further evidence of the sculptor’s mastery.

A delicate, feminine piece that will look great in a hallway or on a dressing table, and will make a lovely gift for an aesthete woman.

Guglielmo Pugi lived in Florence, where he ran a sculpture workshop with his two sons. Their workshop, “Guglielmo Pugi e Figli”, was mainly dedicated to exports, particularly to the United States. Guglielmo Pugi’s work, emblematic of the Art Nouveau style, is characterized by direct carving in alabaster and Carrara marble (often white or veined).
Some of his sculptures are now housed in Volterra’s Historical Alabaster Museum. Many of his works were shown at major international exhibitions, such as the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo and the 1904 Exposition Universelle in Saint-Louis.