A snow hive cleaner than the air,
Crystal more see-through than the glass
A turquoise veil adorned with brass
Carelessly tossed upon a chair.

A cloth made drunk of her own glow
Caressed by tenderness of light
Experienced the summer bright
As though it were the winter snow.

Osip Mandelstam

A cloth made drunk of her own glow — how precise does it sound! Today we are talking about veils, not turquoise, but white, marble.

White marble is an amazing material! Its softness and pliability made it a favorite material of sculptors of antiquity and the Renaissance. Greek artists were the first to "discover" marble in the 4th century BC, they understood that sculptures made of this material, had a special, infinitely expressive plasticity of poses, which allowed to convey the whole range of human feelings.

"Ecstasy Of Blessed Ludovica Albertoni" by Bernini, 1671-1674

Texture of marble is velvety-sensual and milky-transparent. It has special, I would even say, love relationship with the light that penetrates into dense fabric and makes it glow with a unique inner light. This creates a striking effect — marble sculptures seem to be made of flesh, alive, breathing. I think it was from this stone that the misogynist Pygmalion created beautiful Galatea, who put an end to his aversion to females.

''The Veiled Vestal Virgin'' by Raffaele Monti

History of marble is full of ups and downs. Almost completely forgotten in the Middle Ages, it experienced a rebirth during the Renaissance. Grand Michelangelo, Bernini, the finest expert of human feelings, Algardi, a lover of sculpting busts of famous people, often used marble. So, we have the opportunity to admire stunning masterpieces that they created.

Giovanni Strazza

Later Renaissance, which is mannerism, with its deliberate refinement and passion for external effects, brought the skill of working with marble to jewellery perfection, giving us the most famous sculptural trompe-l'oeil — marble veil. It makes you want to throw off weightless fabric from a stranger`s face to get a better look at thin, inexpressibly beautiful features of her face!

"Veiled Woman" by Antonio Corradini

"Modesty" by Antonio Corradini, 1752

"Veiled Woman" by Antonio Corradini

"The Veiled Christ" by Giuseppe Sanmartino, 1753

Raffael Monti