OPEN ART: Lorenzo Bartolini, Emma e Julia Campbell

Lorenzo Bartolini, Emma and Julia Campbell, 1819-1820. Emma! Julia! Stop moving! How can Maestro Bartolini work? The Scottish lady Charlotte Campbell, on a trip to Florence, looks indisputably at the two daughters who are drawing. But how beautiful they are! The whole of Florence is enchanted by their grace, the fineness of the lines, the elegance of their gestures, they have made anyone turn their head when they meet them. We are in 1820 and the two girls are in Posa, in the studio of the great sculptor Lorenzo Bartolini. This is a truly exceptional occasion. Bartolini is one of the greatest sculptors of his time, loved no less than by Napoleon himself. The artist from Tuscany, who lived in France for a long time, was famous because he was able to represent his figures in a truly natural way, but without forgetting the teachings of the great classics. Have you seen the clothes of the Campbell sisters? Look at the folds on the chest and the frills on the sides, they give the idea of ​​very light fabrics. On the legs, then, they seem so thin that they reveal the shape of the knee. These are ancient tunics, used in the times of the Roman Empire. The dress tied under the breast is still today called the style of the empire. Even the sandals look like those worn by the young Roman matrons, in leather and tied to the ankles. Yes, you're right, it's impossible not to notice all those black dots. You must know that to make a marble work, the sculptor prepared the model in plaster, like this one of the Campbell sisters. The black dots are the nails that were inserted into the finished model, to bring the measurements back on the marble block still to be drilled. They were used not to mistake the proportions and shapes already established in the model. But do you also hear this music? It's the Walser of Edinburgh. It seems that the two sisters are dancing. The feet in a trance, a hand raises the dress, the arms intertwine, they are ready for the big dance! The eyes meet and the two girls smile with their lips closed. But what secrets are they telling each other? By the way, do you want to discover the secret to make an extraordinary portrait, like the one of the Campbell sisters? Then follow us! Instant of a statue To make a beautiful self-portrait, that recalls the natural grace of Lorenzo Bartolini's sculptures, here is what we need. A white cardboard in A4 format, three acetate sheets in A5 format, green, blue and transparent. Scissors, indelible black marker with fine round tip, pencil, glue stick, scotch paper, a black and white A5 print of your profile picture, with a cut under the shoulders, as in the picture. Place your printed picture on one of the two white cardboard sheets and stop it with the scotch paper. Overlap the sheet of transparent acetate and fix it to the white sheet. With the indelible black marker, trace all the outlines of your profile. The shoulders, the hair, the face, and then the eye, the eyebrow, the mouth and the ear, without forgetting the neck of the shirt. Have you gone over everything? Good! Now remove the print of your picture from under the acetate and... magic! Elegantissimo, vero? Sembra proprio il profilo di una sorella Campbell! Diamo colore al ritratto, con i fogli verdi e blu. Iniziamo dai capelli. Prendi l'acetato verde e fissalo con lo scotch sopra il ritratto. Con il pennarello, ricalca soltanto i contorni della tua chioma. Stacca il foglio e... Voilà! La chioma è disegnata. Ritagliala seguendo i contorni con precisione e incolla la sagoma con la colla stick sul ritratto. Wow! Prendi ora l'acetato blu per creare uno sfondo che metta in risalto la silhouette. Poggialo sul ritratto, fissalo con lo scotch e traccia soltanto il contorno esterno del tuo profilo. Una volta finito, stacca il foglio blu e taglia seguendo i contorni. Incolla lo sfondo sul tuo ritratto. Oh, che meraviglia! Elegante e naturale. Anche il maestro Bartolini ti farà i complimenti!