3-044-050 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Bust of Maria Cerri Capranica, about 1640. Additional Info: Maria Cerri Capranica is dressed in a velvet gown with an elaborate lace collar, clothing befitting a young noblewoman. Her elegant outfit is complemented by an array of jewelry; long strand of pearls, a necklace set with precious stones, a pendant with a small relief of the Holy Family, and pearl drop earrings. The sitter was clearly a woman of status and affluence, and the sculptor depicted her with a powerful and distinctive psychological presence. The fine details of the sitter's costume, jewelry, and hairstyle display a true mastery of marble carving. Married in 1637, Maria Cerri and Bartolomeo Capranica were from prominent Roman families. A coat of arms identifying both families appears at the base of the sculpture. Cerri died at the age of twenty-five in 1643.