Urania, After Dupré, 1869

I photographed her in Pisa a few months ago; Dupré was among the first sculptors to make portraits in the course of his historical/allegorical works (aside from Bernini, two centuries prior). She reclines upon an elevated tomb, she’s of marble, with light from the front under an overhang, as though lit by a flash. The other details are from the period though from other cities.

“Urania, muse of astronomy, after Dupré, 1867″ 1/1/20 Dupré, as with most sculptors, never mentioned who modeled for the portrait in marble he placed on the Mazzotti tomb in Pisa, where I photographed her. He had been one of the first sculptors to insist on using live models with actual facial features that suited the sculptor’s concept of the allegorical piece he was making. Me, I’ve seen a half dozen and known well a couple of women (Lithuanian, Polish) who look very much like her. Around 25 in 1869, she must have died well over a century ago. 26 x 39” (67 x 100 cm) Though I’ve read his letters and autobiography, he doesn’t mention who were his models; nonetheless, I photographed his marble “Sappho” in Lisbon in 2017 and will work with her also.