Allyson Holdahl

Veiled Lady

Newton&#8217;s First Law of Motion states that an object in motion or at rest will stay in motion or at rest unless acted upon by an outside force. Art has the power to do both &#8211; when it stops us in our tracks, we call it awe; when it moves us to action, we call that inspiration.

We can’t see through stone, but through tricks of light and polish, Raffaelo Monti created the illusion that we can. On his Veiled Lady, the top of the head and shoulders are polished smooth, to reflect light. But where the veil falls across the face, the marble is less polished. It reflects less light, suggesting the texture of fabric. Sculptures of veiled figures peaked in popularity during the 1700s in Italy, an opportunity for sculptors to show their technical mastery over marble. About a century later, Raffaelo Monti and other artists revived this technically demanding tradition.

Allyson Holdahl
Veiled Lady, Graphite and white charcoal

Inspired by:

Veiled Lady, 19th century — Sculptor: Raffaelo Monti — Marble

What does inspiration mean to you?

Allyson Holdahl Veiled Lady, Graphite and white charcoal

Inspired by:

Veiled Lady, 19th century — Sculptor: Raffaelo Monti — Marble

What does inspiration mean to you?

Allyson Holdahl
Veiled Lady, Graphite and white charcoal