Giovanni Strazza had an incredibly rare artistic gift. His masterpiece, “The Veiled Virgin,” carved from flawless Carrara marble, is one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of sculpture.
Strazza’s skill with the “wet drapery” technique continued the tradition of earlier Italian sculptors like Giuseppe Sanmartino, who, a century before, created mesmerizing marble veils—best seen in the famous “Veiled Christ.”
This artistic tradition goes back even further, to Renaissance masters like Michelangelo, known for their detailed and lifelike fabric folds.
But in the mid-19th century, Strazza took this technique to new heights. The delicate, layered effect he created lets viewers clearly see Mary’s facial features through the translucent veil, while also giving the illusion that the veil floats weightlessly.
How he transformed solid marble into something so soft and fluid, using only simple hand tools, remains an enduring mystery.
