Marble Madonna Sculpture , Cabianca 1720 / Marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary, Cabianca 1720 The sculpture was the main exhibit of the exhibition Forgotten Dalmatia in the Maritime Museum in Split where it premiered !

OPINION ABOUT SCULPTURE FROM FAMOUS CROATIAN ACADEMIC RADOSLAV TOMIĆ 

A bust of the Virgin made of white marble is preserved in private ownership in Split. Her frontally placed head is slightly bowed, slightly lowered gaze with hints of a slight smile. The head is covered by a drapery that falls to the shoulders covering the drapery of her dress. Efforts are dense and fall naturally.

The Virgin's narrow face with accentuated lips, finely modeled nose and eyes with prominent eyelids and eyebrows is rendered expertly. In addition, it should be emphasized that her facial expression is soft and gentle, in a way that shows her mental strength.

According to the way the lower edge was cut, it can be assumed that the statue was originally larger and that it probably belonged to an ensemble that depicted the entire figure. In this sense, it can be thought that it is a fragment of a sculpture that stood on the altar and had a sacral function.

The sculpture previously belonged to the prominent and well known family Župa – Mimbelli from Orebić on the island of Pelješac, which gives her an additional value. Due to the subsequent cutting, it remains open when and under what circumstances it ended up in a private collection as a decoration in their art-equipped palace. Therefore, her origin is also unknown. Whether it was acquired on the Apennine peninsula or in the Dubrovnik area is difficult to answer, especially since the last owner in Orebić was a collector, so, in principle, he too could have acquired the statue in the years after the Second World War. Please note that marble sculptures are rarely preserved in Dalmatian private collections, although they are sometimes mentioned in archival documents.

The stylistic features indicate that the statue was created in the first half of the 18th century. It can be assumed that it is the work of Venetian sculptors, although one must not lose sight of the fact that clients in the territory of the former Republic of Dubrovnik, to which Pelješac also belonged, knew how to buy works of art in Naples and central Italy (Ancona). In addition, it is known that the wealthy Mimbelli captains had extensive connections with Livorno and Trieste and other cities in Italy. It is precisely for this reason that it is ungrateful to make a final judgment about its author. At the current level of research, it can be pointed out that her elongated, gentle face, with prominent cheeks, shows a certain similarity with the works of the Venetian sculptor Francesco Cabianca (Venice, 1665 – 1737) and his workshop. The sculptor Cabianca worked in Venice, Friuli, but for a number of years he lived and created in Kotor and Dubrovnik. In Kotor, with numerous collaborators, he created a large and important oeuvre, while many of his works were recognized (always in collaboration with the workshop) in Zadar as well.

It can be repeated once again that privately owned marble statues from the 17th and 18th centuries are quite rare in Dalmatia. The Orebić statue shows with its undisguised beauty that it is the work of a trained sculptor who was able to shape not only the physical properties but also the spiritual dimension of the Virgin's personality.

Split, January 23rd 2022. Prof.dr. Radoslav Tomić 

OPINION ON THE WORK OF THE FAMOUS CROATIAN ACADEMICIAN RADOSLAV TOMIĆ

Privately owned in Split, a bust of the Virgin Mary made in white marble is kept.  Her frontally placed head is slightly lowered, slightly lowered with a slight lyrical gaze with hints of a slight smile. The head is covered by a drapery that descends on the shoulders covering the drapery of her dress. Efforts are dense and fall naturally. The Mother of God's narrow face with accentuated lips, finely modeled nose and eyes with prominent eyelids and eyebrows was executed expertly. In addition, it should be emphasized that the expression of the face is gentle and gentle, in a way that expresses her mental strength. According to the method of cutting the lower edge, it can be assumed that originally the statue was larger and probably belonged to a whole that depicted the whole figure. In this sense, one can think that this is a fragment of a sculpture that stood on the altar and was in sacral function. The sculpture previously belonged to the prominent and well-to-do captain's family Župa – Mimbella from Orebić on the island of Pelješac, which is its added value. Due to subsequent cutting, it remains open when and in what circumstances it reached the private collection as a decoration in their art-equipped palace. Therefore, its origin is also unknown. Whether it was acquired on the Apennine peninsula or in the Dubrovnik region is difficult to answer all the more so because the last owner in Orebić was a collector and, in principle, he was able to obtain the statue in the years after World War II. Please note that the marble sculpture in Dalmatian private collections is rarely preserved, although it is sometimes mentioned in archival documents.

Stylistic features indicate that the statue was created in the first half of the 18th century. It can be assumed that the work of Venetian sculptors, although it must not be forgotten that the clients in the territory of the former Dubrovnik Republic, to which Pelješac also belonged, knew how to buy art in Naples and central Italy (Ancona). In addition, it is known that the wealthy captains Mimbelli had extensive connections with Livorno and Trieste and other cities in Italy. That is why it is ungrateful to give a final judgment on its author. At the present stage of research, it can be pointed out that its elongated, mild face, with prominent cheeks shows a certain similarity with the works of the Venetian sculptor Francesco Cabianka (Venice, 1665–1737) and his workshops. The sculptor Cabianca worked in Venice, Friuli, but for many years he lived and created in Kotor and Dubrovnik. In Kotor, with numerous associates, he achieved a large and important opus, while numerous works were recognized (always in cooperation with the workshop) in Zadar. 

Once again it can be repeated that marble statues from the 17th and 18th centuries privately owned in the Dalmatian area are quite rare. The Orebić statue shows with its undisguised beauty that the work was a trained sculptor who was capable of shaping not only bodily properties but also the soul dimension of the Mother of God's personality. 

Split, January 23, 2022 Prof.dr. Radoslav Tomić