Describing a sculpture

Marcello Maschievini (1906 - 1983) Italy
„PRIMAVERA” - 1968

The sculpture is in my mind woman compared with nature. I think that the author wanted to show that many people live in this world and we should think about it a little more. The next of my observations is that probably Maschievini shows the ideal woman; in some cultures trees are the perfect plants, they represent strength and endurance, they can live many years. Some people think that a woman when she is older she become more beautiful, trees are beautiful too, the old tree has a special respect from people, usually old people (not only women) too. So I think that „Primavera” shows that woman is like a tree, strong and beautiful, kind of immortal. And I think that this sculpture tries to says that people are a part of nature a part of the view, a very pretty part, or maybe that a natural women, without make-up, without special, expensive clothes is the most beautiful. I think that „Primavera” is abstract, because some people may say that it shows a tree with some woman’s features, others may say that is the women with features of a tree, and still others may think that this sculpture doesn’t represent women at all.

The material the author used for the sculpture is bronze, and „Primavera” is a little taller than normal woman is. Maschievini used some negative space, I think that he wanted to show that arms and branches are really similar. The shape is natural and organic. The texture is very rough, like the bark of tree, although a part of the sculpture (bust) has a smooth texture. I don’t think lines and shadows are important in this sculpture. When I look at the shadow I can’t see what the sculpture shows.

The surrounding of „Primavera” is perfect, ideal. The sculpture shows a tree and it is between trees on the grass. It isn’t so high and it is under a big tree, in its shadow. It is natural that if a plant is in the shadow of another plant (usually a bigger tree) it can’t grow up, so the surroundings explain the height of this sculpture. It should be higher because it is a tree, but it can’t because it lives in the shadow.