Direct carving of a portrait of a smiling young woman in white Carrara marble from the Art Nouveau period. The sculptor uses a clever technique to bring out the face, allowing the figure to take shape by "emerging" from the block of marble. The high-relief sculpted proof highlights the contrast between the rough material on one side and the softness of the female face framed by a beautiful flowing head of hair. A very fine, unsigned work from the late 19th century.