veils

Thought behind the Thought

Are words really communicators of truth? or do they hide it, partially behind a veil? When we use words, aren't we showing only a glimpse of what actually is, and in the way we want it to be seen? 

Isn't it exactly like a beautiful woman, whose face is hidden by a veil ... her beauty only partially revealed ? And her face made more beautiful by the thin veil that hides it?

About the Art:

The veil has fascinated artists all over the world. Painters and sculptors have, in their own way, tried to capture it's mystery and beauty in their preferred medium, even one as difficult as stone! The images below show the work of three Italian sculptors of the nineteenth century, all on the same theme. The technique used in creating something as transperent as a veil from material as hard and opaque as marble, is indeed amazing! And so is the paradox!

'The Veiled Vestal': Marble sculpture by Raffaele Monti

In Ancient Rome, Vestals were virgin priestesses, whose lives were dedicated to the Godess Vesta, and were entrusted with the task of protecting the fire that burnt on Her altar. They were considered important for the safety of Rome.

Raffaele Monti (1818-1881) was an Italian sculptor, author and poet. He studied under his Father, the noted sculptor Gaetano Matteo Monti and received extensive patronage at a young age. He earned recognition as a leading sculptor for the art he created for the sixth Duke of Devonshire, the "Veiled Vestal", a figure with an illusionistic veil. A bust, based on this work, cast in Parisian porcelain by Copeland titled "The Bride" was issued in 1861 by the Crystal Palace Art Union. The sculpture became one of the most popular busts ever created.
Monti produced sculptures working in marble, but he also created in metals and porcelain, while he remained active in the applied arts.

Other Italian sculptors, also worked on the same theme  around that period, which saw the rise of the Italian Nationalist movement, and the theme of the veiled lady that symbolised Italy.

'The Veiled Virgin' : Marble Sculpture by Giovanni Strazza

The Statue, depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary, also symbolised Itay, and was a prime example of the Italian Nationalist Art Movement called 'Risorgimento'. Strazza's work is a technical triumph that surpasses much contemporary art of the 19th century.

"Veiled Lady" Marble sculpture by Pietro Rossi

Credit and Source of information:
http://www.chatsworth.org/attractions-and-events/art-archives/art-and-archives-collections/sculpture/a-veiled-vestal-virgin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffaelle_Monti
http://www.gibbespeopleschoice.org/portfolioentry/veiled-lady/