MEDARDO RED Turin, 1858 - Milan, 1928 Jewish Child, 1895-98 Wax on chalk, 22 x 16.5 x 23 cm Signed and dedicated 'to my friend Beretta' lower right Authentication on photograph by Prof. Paola Mola Authentication on photograph by Prof. Luciano Caramel Medardo Rosso's wax works represent one of the most significant moments in modern sculpture. Rosso chooses a fragile, delicate material such as wax to tell the impression of a moment, the light that touches a face and then disappears. Rosso uses wax to mould light, to make the surface of the sculpture vibrate, to make it alive, unstable. His works change depending on the light, the weather, the observer's gaze. The choice of subjects is also significant. Rosso does not sculpt humble, everyday figures: children, women, the elderly. There is attention to the fragility of the human. Milo Beretta, born in Montevideo in 1875, undertook a trip to Europe in 1888 with the intention of perfecting his musical studies. On that occasion, he met Rosso in Paris, abandoned music to devote himself completely to the visual arts and became his disciple and close friend. During his stay in Paris, Beretta not only assimilated the art and mastery of modelling and the use of light, but also became a collector of his works. Upon his return to Montevideo in 1898, Beretta opened an atelier in the El Prado district, turning it into a major cultural centre. Here he permanently exhibited waxes and bronzes by Rosso, as well as works by artists such as Vuillard, Bonnard and Van Gogh . His atelier became a reference point for the Uruguayan artistic avant-garde, hosting exhibitions and artistic exchanges. Provenance: Milo Beretta Private collection Honourable Ivan Matteo Lombardo, Milan Private collection, Milan