CRACO Arthur (1869-1955) – Bust of a young woman,

Arthur Craco (1869-1955), Bust of a young woman, glazed stoneware, H. 30 cm, signed.

This glazed stoneware bust represents a young woman with a modelling that privileges overall masses over descriptive detail. The anatomical features are softly indicated rather than precisely defined; the forms remain intentionally vague and slightly indeterminate, with blurred transitions that introduce a muted, understated sense of mystery. The glaze, in irregular bluish and earthy tones, reinforces this ambiguity by softening contours and merging surface and volume.
The work fits within Craco’s experimental ceramic practice, without allowing a precise dating.

Arthur Craco (Brussels, 1869 – Etterbeek, 1955) was a Belgian sculptor and ceramist trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Brussels. After early work in drawing and traditional sculpture, he developed a distinct approach to ceramic stoneware from the mid-1890s, combining sculptural modelling with exploratory glazing techniques. He collaborated with the stoneware workshops of Andenne, where several monumental public fountains by him remain, and produced both decorative objects and autonomous sculptural pieces. His works are preserved in Belgian public collections, including the Musée de la céramique d’Andenne and the Musée d’Ixelles, and are documented in various private collections and auction catalogues.