Bust of Vincenzo Petra
by VACCARO, Lorenzo, Marble, height 82 cm
One can find a distinctive element of restraint in the handsome bust of Vincenzo Petra by the Neapolitan sculptor Lorenzo Vaccaro. The accoutrements of Baroque portraiture are present here, but in an understated way, much as in the painted portraits of Vaccaro’s contemporary Francesco Solimena. The features and facial structure are secure but more summarily treated than in busts by Bernini or Finelli, and the result is a dignified if essentially low-key presentation.