Twisting marble: Observations on the Figura Serpentinata and its Applications

Studies to date have debated the origins of the figura serpentinata and its Antique roots, as much as they have endeavoured to interpret Lomazzo’s enigmatic text, without, however, attempting a deeper study of its development and the practical consequences of its application. This essay leaves to one side the questions of its origins, invention and definition, and concentrate instead on its physical manifestation, the marble sculptures described by Michelangelo as “by subtracting” (per forza di levare), aiming to reveal what this “stylistic device” meant in this material in particular. The objective is to examine how the sculptors of the Cinquecento dealt with this inherited tradition, by evaluating the extent to which the concept of the figura serpentinata was applied to marble sculpture in the period, and by measuring the consequences of certain technical choices it entailed.