Emilio P. Fiaschi was a native of the Tuscan town of Volterra, and attended the prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence from 1883-1885. An accomplished sculptor of marble and alabaster, he gained a reputation in the competitive Florentine art community for his technical skill and mastery of sculptural composition, following in the grand tradition of such masters as Donatello (1386-1466), Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), and Giambologna (1529-1608).

Fiaschi was adept at depicting a range of textures, not an easy task in the unforgiving and rigid medium of marble; this is evident in the example presented here with the juxtaposition of the smoothness of the figure's flesh with the roughness of the steps. Specializing ...