Portrait of a young woman 1850

Henri-Baron de Triqueti completed this marble portrait of a young woman in the mid-19th century. The cool white marble gives the artwork a sense of stillness, even purity. The young woman is encased in an oval niche that is intricately carved with radiating lines and framed by swirling decorative elements. This composition creates a striking contrast between the smooth, rounded surfaces of the figure and the textured background. The sculptor masterfully uses line and form to draw the viewer's eye across the figure's profile and the contours of her face. Triqueti was influenced by classical sculpture, and this work reveals how he adopted and transformed classical ideals of beauty. By flattening the figure and integrating it into the architectural framework, the portrait destabilizes the traditional boundaries between sculpture and relief. This approach aligns with broader artistic and philosophical concerns about the nature of representation and the relationship between figure and ground. The work invites us to consider how the interplay of form and material conveys cultural meanings and values related to gender and identity.