Return from Piedigrotta 1911

Filippo Cifariello made this sculpture, Return from Piedigrotta, and there’s a real sense of process here. The dark surface is broken by all this lovely texture. See how Cifariello’s fingerprints are all over the clay? It's like he’s wrestling with it. The figure is slumped on a rough rock formation, surrounded by grapes. The grapes are a clue to the character’s state – this figure has overindulged. Look at how the light glints off the chest and arms but is absorbed by the face. The face is in shadow, and seems to lack detail. Think of Degas’ Little Dancer of Fourteen Years. Degas also used wax, a medium that captures the artist's touch so directly. These artists knew that a work never needs to be fully resolved, and that mystery is vital. The sculpture has a timeless quality, embodying the spirit of celebration and excess.