A Florentine by birth, Bastiani was a pupil of Augusto Rivalta in Milan before entering the studio of the famous sculptor Cesare Zocchi. His oeuvre is characterised by a typically Italian combination of grand allegorical compositions and more sentimental genre works.
This elegant figure of Eve showcases Bastiani's skill in the texturing of marble, with a beautifully rendered tree and foliage surrounding the woman's supple form. Her hand outstretched to pluck the fateful apple, the focus is on Eve's gaze, both curious and fearful in her transgression.
RELATED LITERATURE
A. Panzetta, Nuovo Dizionario degli Scultori Italiani dell'Ottocento e del Primo Novecento, Turin, 2003, p. 77
