Young woman
Unknown Artist
possibly ca. 1500
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed): 17 3/4 × 15 × 8 1/2 in., 74.8 lb. (45.1 × 38.1 × 21.6 cm, 33.9 kg)
Classification
Sculpture
Culture
possibly Italian, Venice
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George Blumenthal, 1941
Accession Number
41.190.33
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting marble bust, titled *Young Woman* and possibly dating to around 1500, hails from Venice, Italy—a hub of Renaissance artistry. Carved from smooth, luminous marble, it captures the serene beauty of its subject with remarkable poise. Measuring 17¾ × 15 × 8½ inches and weighing nearly 75 pounds, the sculpture exemplifies the technical mastery required to transform dense stone into lifelike form, likely evoking classical ideals of feminine grace during a time when Venice thrived as a maritime and cultural powerhouse. Marble, sourced from quarries like those near Carrara, was the me...