This drawing, made with graphite and pure gold leaf on paper, shows a female bust on a pedestal, seen from the back. The title of the work is a reference to the art of restoration, where “verso” is the back part of a painting.
Height 68 cm
Width 52 cm
© Giorgio Schirato
© Giorgio Schirato
© Giorgio Schirato
© Giorgio Schirato
© Giorgio Schirato
Stefania Dei Rossi
- Illustrator
- Trieste, Italy
- Master Artisan
© Giorgio Schirato
Pictures and pedestals
- • Stefania's drawings are made with graphite and gold leaf on paper
- • She borrowed the gilding technique from art restoration
- • Most of her subjects are represented on pedestals
Stefania Dei Rossi’s drawings are a creative universe of contrasts, where humble graphite meets pure gold, and roosters, hens and other common animals are solemnly portrayed on pedestals like important people. "The atmosphere of my works - still lifes and dummies included - is mostly inspired by Giorgio De Chirico’s metaphysical paintings, where inanimate objects seem to come alive," she explains. Yet, the strongest influence on her art comes from her mother who’s a restorer: she grew up in her workshop, surrounded by paintings, frames, golden cartouches and craft tools. She could have followed in her footsteps. But after studying restoration at the Academy of Fine Arts of Venice and working in the field for a while, she realized that drawing, her pastime since childhood, was what she really wanted to do with her life.
Read the full interviewWorks
Photo: © Giorgio Schirato
Verso su piedistallo
Photo: © Giorgio Schirato
Composizione onirica (Dreamlike composition)
Part of the female portraits series, this drawing is made with graphite and gold leaf on paper. The woman portrayed is a projection of the artist and is meant to investigate the complex relationship between body and soul. As in many other works by Dei Rossi, the main subject stands on a pedestal.
Width 95 cm
Height 70 cm
Photo: © Giorgio Schirato
Inconsueta di natura - scena III
This drawing, made with graphite and gold leaf on paper, is part of the still lifes series, but it has little in common with the traditional still lifes with fruit baskets and flowers. Its subject is an uncommon bunch of objects, namely the tools that Stefania Dei Rossi has seen in her mother’s restoration workshop since childhood.
Width 51 cm
Height 30 cm
Photo: © Giorgio Schirato
Percezione III
Another drawing from the Female Portraits series, where Stefania Dei Rossi projects herself onto her model. The pedestal’s role is crucial as it elevates the figure, supporting and isolating it. The artist used gold leaf and silver for the background.
Width 44.4 cm
Height 56 cm
Photo: © Giorgio Schirato
Golden placemat - Rooster
This table placemat is made of tempered glass and decorated with the drawing of a rooster from Stefania Dei Rossi’s signature series Animals on pedestals. The golden background, hand gilded with the application of gold leaf, decontextualizes the animal. The placemat can be used for setting the table or as a decorative object to hang on the wall.
Width 0.4 cm
Diameter 35 cm
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