Teresa Guiccioli Gamba

A magnificent plaster bust of Countess Teresa Guiccioli Gamba, Lord Byron's companion, was created by Lorenzo Bartolini during the couple's stay in Pisa in 1822, upon the express wish of the poet, whom the artist was portraying at the same time.
The Countess is depicted facing the viewer, with a serene expression on her face. The long, flowing hair, with elegant ringlets on the ends, falls on her shoulders. The torso is encircled by a richly wrinkled dress.
It is the styling of the dress, the hair, and the naturalness of her face, among the various Bartolinian busts, that best illustrates the delicate transition between Neoclassicism and Romanticism.
The first marble reproduction of the bust is now in Cape Town, in tandem with that of Lord Byron. Sculpturally, the two works were intended to be placed in the same context. In fact, the characters are turned toward each other similarly to other pairs of busts by the same artist. Another marble copy of the portrait can be found in Ravenna, in one of the monumental rooms of the Classense Library.