Italian School (Impruneta, Tuscany), early 20th century
Hunting and Fishing (Cacciatore e Pescatrice)
Terracotta, incised “1431” and “18” on base
Height 57 in.
These near life-size terracotta figures represent allegorical personifications of the rural pursuits of hunting and fishing. Modeled with graceful contrapposto poses and classical drapery, the hunter holds his quarry aloft while the fisherwoman raises a freshly caught fish, each symbolizing abundance drawn from nature.
The pair likely originated from one of the prominent terracotta workshops of Impruneta, near Florence, renowned for architectural and garden sculpture since the Renaissance. Comparable examples appear in early 20th-century Italian garden statuary catalogs and were exported widely throughout Europe and America.
