CORDIER, Nicolas
(b. ca. 1567, Saint-Mihiel, d. 1612, Roma)

Gypsy Girl (Zingarella)

1607-12
White and gray marble, bronze, height 140 cm
Galleria Borghese, Rome

The smiling Gypsy by Nicolas Cordier, a French sculptor active in Rome, was executed between 1607 and 1612 for Cardinal Scipione, as can be seen from the eagles and dragons decorating the hem of her gown. This statue consists of an ancient grey marble torso to which Cordier added the elegant sections in white marble and gilded bronze (recent restoration has revealed the gold clasp by removing a thick black patina, which toned down its splendour to suit 19th-century taste).




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