‘Mosè Salvato Dalle Acque’. An Important Florentine Marble Group of Moses Rescued from the Waters

Description

Pietro Bazzanti (Italian, 1825-1895) – ‘Mosè Salvato Dalle Acque’.

An Important Florentine Marble Group of Moses Rescued from the Waters, on a carved Rosso Levanto Pedestal.

Incised to the base ‘P. Bazzanti , Firenze’.

Exhibited Paris Exposition Universelle 1889.

Italy, Circa 1885.

Dimensions:
Total Height 230 cm / 91 inches
Height figure 150 cm / 59 inches
Height of pedestal 80 cm / 32 inches

This finely carved marble figural group epitomises the romantic historicist style that permeated Italian sculpture in the latter decades of the nineteenth century.

While the subject is drawn from religious history, the composition is infused with an emotional immediacy typical of nineteenth century genre sculpture, thereby distinguishing it within the broader context of sacred art of the period.

‘The Finding of Moses’, as recounted in the Book of Exodus, narrates the survival of the Hebrew infant following the Pharaoh’s decree that all male Israelite children be cast into the Nile.

Concealed by his mother and placed in a papyrus basket amongst the reeds, the infant Moses was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter who moved by compassion, resolved to preserve his life. At the suggestion of Moses’ sister, Miriam, who had discreetly observed the encounter, the princess entrusted the infant’s care to his biological mother, thereby ensuring his survival. As the child grew, he became the adoptive son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

Pietro Bazzanti’s sculptural treatment of the subject captures the tender emotional bond forged at the moment of rescue. The child, trusting and curious, reaches out to touch the princesses’ necklace, while she smiles benevolently. Through this affectionate encounter, Bazzanti renders the biblical narrative accessible and resonant for the contemporary viewer. The princess is adorned with sumptuous drapery, elaborate jewellery, and a vulture headdress, an iconographic feature associated with royal women during the Old Kingdom, each detail painstakingly rendered in marble with remarkable textural sensitivity. The Nilotic environment is evoked through careful depiction of reeds entwining around the figure’s legs and the river’s flowing currents at her feet.

Pietro Bazzanti played a pivotal role in Florentine sculpture at the close of the 19th century. His studio, later known as the Galleria Bazzanti, was established in 1822 and continues to operate today. Specializing in sculpture inspired by antiquity and original allegorical and genre works, Bazzanti’s studio attracted renowned sculptors like Cesare Lapini, Ferdinando Vichi, and Guglielmo Pugi, all contributing works bearing the studio’s mark: “Galleria Bazzanti.”

This present group is an autographed work by Pietro Bazzanti himself and exhibited at the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, where it can be seen in a stereoscopic view of the Italian section.

‘Mosè Salvato Dalle Acque’ as shown in the Italian section at the 1889 International Exhibition in Paris.