Dancer

Mario Dante Zoi (documented from 1910)
20th century, Marble and alabaster, with black veined marble base

Mario Dante Zoi was an important Florentine sculptor who worked from the mid-nineteenth century to the start of the twentieth century, creating a series of elegant sculptures that combined the decorative approach fashionable in Art Deco with the purity of line of the Liberty style. This ballerina is a perfect example: she strikes the pose of a very elegant dance, with her left knee on the ground, her arms raised, and her face directed towards the viewer with an impressive smile. She wears a band of flowers on her head, and her body is covered only by a veil that reveals her legs. The use of pure white marble for the skin and painted alabaster for the veil creates a very elegant decorative effect. This version is more majestic than the French chryselephantine sculptures that are also part of this collection.