Adolfo Wildt (Milan 1868 - 1931) "Mater purissima o Maria' 1928 high relief in polished Carrara marble, with yellow patination amber and gilding in the nimbus 29.5x34.3x8 cm Signed lower right in the thickness of the high relief Bottom left autograph inscription: NEL 80° COMPLEANNO ALL'ING. G.B.PIRELLI / THE COMPANY GROUP FASCIST GROUP - EXALTING / HIS CREATIVE WORK - WITH A SPIRIT / ITALIANLY GRATEFUL / YEAR VII - E. F. - Provenance Senator Giovanni Battista Pirelli Heirs of Giovanni Battista Pirelli Private collection Bibliography Unpublished For a general bibliography of the work: P. Mola 'Wildt' Milan, F.M.Ricci editore, 1988, pp. 56, 152 P. Mola 'Wildt. Il mestiere di scolpire' Catalogue of the exhibition at Galleria Gian Ferrari (Milan, October-December 1988), Milan, F.M. Ricci editore, pp. 28-29, ill. P. Mola (ed.) 'Adolfo Wildt.1868-1931' Exhibition catalogue (Venice, Galleria di Ca'Pesaro, 8 December 1989 - 4 March 1990), Milan 1988 p.169, n.20 P. Mola (ed.) 'Adolfo Wildt. 1868-1931. Ein Italienischer Bildhauer des Symbolismus' Exhibition catalogue (Mathildenhöhe, Darmstadt 25 March - 17 June 1990), Darmstadt 1990 p. 169, n. 20. June 1990), Darmstadt 1990, pp.74-75, ill. P. Mola (ed.) 'Wildt. L'anima e le forme' Exhibition catalogue (edited by F.Mazzocca and P.Mola, Forlì, Musei di San Domenico, 28 January - 17 June 2012), Milan, Silvana Editoriale, 2012, passim and in particular pp.176-181, nos. 19a and 19b (file by O.Cucciniello), with previous bibliography and illustrations of other examples. On the high relief Mary gives light to the Christian children, whose Mater Purissima is the isolated head detail, see: P. Mola, in 'Museo Nazionale. 150 opere della Storia dell'Arte italiana' Milan 2019, pp.264-367, the text is a reduction of the one broadcast on Radio 3 in the programme Museo Nazionale (edited by Monica d'Onofrio) P. Mola 'Mary gives light to Christian children' 9 April 2016 P. Mola 'Maria falce di luna e altri simboli di una grazia aliena' in 'Il Foglio', year III, no.3, p.4 insert 'Il Foglio Arte', 23 March 2022 This work is accompanied by certificate of authenticity on photograph issued by Paola Mola