Minneapolis Institute of Art

Veiled Lady

Sculptor: Raffaelle Monti

Date

c. 1860

Medium

Marble

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

We can’t see through stone, but through tricks of light and polish, Raffaelle Monti created the illusion that we can. On his Veiled Lady, the top of the head and shoulders are polished smooth, to reflect light. But where the veil falls across the face, the marble is less polished. It reflects less light, suggesting the texture of fabric. Sculptures of veiled figures peaked in popularity during the 1700s in Italy, an opportunity for sculptors to show their technical mastery over marble. About a century later, Raffaelle Monti and other artists revived this technically demanding tradition. England, Europe

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