Bust of a Woman, 1952

This bust represents a certain Signora Lampugnani, who had originally commissioned Giacomo Manzù to make a sculpture of her child. He produced three versions of the portrait, the first of which won the Grand Prize at the 1948 Venice Biennale. Manzù subsequently reworked the plaster original in 1952 (the version from which this cast was taken) and again in 1955. Here, Manzù’s skill in capturing the smile of his sitter recalls Medardo Rosso’s ability to ‘freeze’ fleeting sensations and moments in time.