Nelusko
This bronze and marble bust is one of a pair, with Selika. The characters Sélika and Nélusko from the opera L’Africaine (The African Woman) with music by German composer, Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) and a libretto by Eugène Scribe (1791-1861). The opera tells the fictitious story of Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer who captures Queen Sélika and Nélusko, as proof of his discovery of unchartered land. The opera tells of a love story between Queen Sélika, Vasco da Gama, Inès and Don Pédro. The opera was first performed in Paris in 1865 and was so popular that further performances took place in Britain and America. Pagani’s sculpture reflects the great popularity of the opera.
Luigi Pagani was born in Bergamo. He moved to Milan to study sculpture at Accademia di Brera, where he won its annual competition in 1860. Pagani’s work was shown at major exhibitions in Italy where he received many awards. From 1870 Pagani contributed to international exhibitions and in 1872 he exhibited this superb pair of busts at the Royal Academy in London. Pagani is one of the best representatives of the school of Milan who knew how to combine a flawless technique with the classical subjects requested by his patrons.
