19th century, Girl with kitten

19th century Girl with kitten Alabaster, cm 46 x 18 x 20 Signed G.A and dated 1867 The sculpture depicts a young girl sitting on a chair. The girl is intent on knitting, with her hands holding a ball of yarn and needles. Her hair is gathered in a soft bun, with some curls framing her face. She wears a simple dress, with short sleeves and voluptuous pleats, leaving her ankles and bare feet uncovered. The simplicity of the dress worn by the girl, as well as that of the wooden chair on which she sits, suggests that the scene is set in a humble and domestic environment. A kitten plays with her ball of yarn, and she gives it a benevolent and loving look. Alabaster was a very popular material in 19th-century sculpture, appreciated for its softness, translucence, and ability to render details delicately. The fact that the stone, quarried mainly in the Tuscan area - the city of Volterra was particularly known for the processing of this precious material - was relatively easy to work meant that the most minute details could be represented perfectly. Alabaster was often used for small and medium-sized sculptures, depicting female figures, children, mythological and allegorical subjects: its delicacy was perfectly suited to the aesthetics of these subjects, from which grace, sensitivity, and idealization of beauty had to emerge.