Enrico Braga

Overall the condition of the marble is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are a few naturally occurring inclusions and some minor veining consistent with the material. There are a few small losses to the lace.
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Enrico Braga studied in Milan at the Brera Academy. The sculptor went on to achieve international recognition and exhibited in Turin, Rome, Paris and London. Unusually, Braga was also well known in Russia, where he spent eight years in St Petersburg and modelled portraits of several members of the Tsar's family.

The fashionable young lady portrayed in the present marble relates to a trend in Italian late 19^th century sculpture, which moved away from historical and allegorical sculpture to depict everyday moments. Typically the focus here is on incidental detail and mood rather than narrative content, although a hint of a story is found in the title. Taken with the girl's solemn demeanour it seems to suggest a reference to a lost love.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo dizionario degli scultori italiani, vol.I., Turin, 2003, p. 107