You look at these sculptures and it is hard to believe that they are made of stone.

Statue of the Immaculate Conception, marble, by Antonio Corradini, 1752, at the San Severo Chapel in Naples


The sculpture is a tombstone of Raymondo’s mother, who gave her son life at the cost of his own life (the woman gave birth).

Sculpture “The Abduction of Proserpine”, marble, statue height 2, 95 meters, Borgase Gallery, Rome
Lorenzo Bernini created this masterpiece in 1621, when he was 23 years old. “I won the stone and I was able to make it as plastic as a candle,” the sculptor said proudly.

Created by Francesco Quirolo, this sculpture is his most famous creation. The sculpture is especially precious because of the delicate details made of marble and pumice (the net is made of pumice). Quirolo was the only Neapolitan sculptor to agree to do such work. Many famous sculptors refused to create this sculpture because they thought that the grid cut by this method would break into pieces as soon as it was cut by the cutter. Indeed, to this day no one has been able to explain how the master managed to engrave these amazingly exquisite ornaments in pumice, though the fact is that the sculpture has endured for centuries.

There are plenty of such exquisite, perfect sculptures in Italy. Surprisingly, the corners and corners of these creatures can not be cut with a cutter, they can not be extracted with a modern electric drill and polishing machine (shlifovka). There will definitely be gaps, bumps or misalignments anywhere … but no, any, even the smallest element on these sculptures is perfectly executed, as if printed on a 3D printer, in the 17th-18th centuries, when sculptors had nothing but the simplest tools. .

Have you ever seen such a statue, with vivid, shining eyes and velvety eyebrows?

With a dress that shows not only stitches but also stitches and even the texture of the fabric, and this dress is worn on a body sculpted from marble, on which folds and even a rash are remarkably naturally drawn. It is said that if you look closely at a statue, you will notice even the smallest pores on the skin.

This statue is called “Girl” and it was created in the early XIX century by the Italian sculptor Quintiliana Corbelini. It stands in Apulka, the Count Vorontsov Winter Palace and truly represents the greatest treasure in art history.

Eyes, hands, feet, fabric texture, stitches, stitches … Is it possible for a human hand to carve all this out of marble with such amazing accuracy? – Yes, it can only be done by great artists.