An Unknown Self-Portrait Discovered:
The German Emil Wolff (Berlin 1802-1879 Rome) was the most important German sculptor in the first half of the 19th Century living in Rome.
The recent discovery of his youth-portrait from 1835 is a milestone for the research of German sculpture of Neoclassicism in the early 19th century in Rome. The self-portrait can be considered in its rest and balance as a paradigmatic expression of classical ideals.
Until our bust came to light, only the late portrait of Emil Wolff was known, which he created in 1876 in Rome. This bust is preserved in the collection of the Accademia di San Luca in Rome, an early center of neoclassical theory and practice. The comparison of the two bust by Emil Wolff demonstrate the high quality of his art of portraiture and show his mastery skill and technically perfect treatment of the material marble.