Bust of Rebecca

This is a bust entitled Rebecca made of white marble, it was carved by the Italian sculptor Orazio Andreoni. Based in Rome, Andreoni sent works for exhibition as far as Glasgow (1888) and Berlin (1892) and is believed to have been active for a time in America (a file on him is in the Smithsonian Institution Library). The exposure established his international reputation. Andreoni specialised in historical and biblical subjects such as the present bust of Rebecca. His expertise with the chisel is evident here in the virtuoso handling of clothing, hair and jewelry, delighting in the richness of detail. Other historic subjects he treated included figures of a Pharisee (Sydney Museum), Francesco da Rimini, Messalina, the Blind Nidia and Hamlet (Bournemouth).