Nativity

late 17th - early 18th

A pair of carved oak angels, circa 1700, with a lovely warm patina and faint traces of polychrome to the face and gilding to the body. The angels are both kn...

A late 17th c. Italian carved figure of Mermaid, Circle of Filippo Parodi (Genoa, 1630 – July 22, 1702) Dimensions: h. 29.13 in, w. 30.31 in, p. 18.9 in (at the base) Magnificent Italian Baroque sculpture depicting a mermaid seated on the rock. All the virtuosity of the sculptor unfolds in this carved group. The fantastic creature is featured seated, the upper part of the body darting forward, the head looking upwards. Sophisticated hairstyle with rows of pearls intertwined in her hair, her loose locks fly in the wind and bring movement to the whole sculpture. The wide-open eyes with hollowed-out pupils make it possible to follow the mermaid's gaze, towards the sky. The half-open mouth further magnifies this bewitching and seductive attitude. Its long double tail ending in fins wraps on either side of a rocky mound strewn with objects evoking the underwater world: seashells and shells, branches of coral. The ornamental richness combined with the great care taken in its execution make it a work in which the splendor of Italian Baroque art unfolds in such characteristic scenic movement. The composition betrays a strong influence from Filippo Parodi, the leader of Genoese Baroque sculpture, and points to an artist from his circle. Our sculpture was probably part of a decorative monumental palace. The iconographic theme evoking the marine world finds its application in the numerous fountains and artificial grottos, designed in Italian palaces at the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries. Giacomo Filippo Parodi (Genoa 1630 – July 22, 1702) was an Italian Baroque sculptor of the Genoese school, who introduced Bernini's aesthetic to Genoa. In his youth fathers a first apprenticeship with a carpenter, he went to Rome where he became a pupil of Bernini. He had the opportunity to admire in person the works and style of the French sculptor Pierre Puget...

One flame candle holder putto made of gilded wood. Those kind of objects were present in churches or noble villas, specially during the Baroque times. The base is not coeval.

Carved and painted wooden sculpture - Madonna in Prayer - Italy, 17th-18th century. 25 x 20 x 65 cm. Made entirely of carved, lacquered, and painted wood. Some signs of wear and pa...

Carved and painted wooden sculpture - Figure of a saint - Italy, 17th-18th century. 36 x 25 x 74 cm. Made entirely of carved, lacquered, and painted wood. Some signs of wear and pa...

Large mirror made by a Florentine woodcarver working in the early 18th century (it can be hung on the wall in either direction) Tuscany (Florence) Louis XIV style Carved and g...

Polychrome wax relief on chalkboard, 20 x 15 cm; with ebony and tortoiseshell frame, 28 x 23 cm The scene depicts Mary Magdalene in the center, seated on a rock with a handkerchief i...

Pair of Angels, Tuscan Sculptures with Cornucopias from the 1600s hand-carved from stone pine wood, lacquered and gilded from Central Italy, from a private villa in Siena; they are...

Polychrome Wood Sculpture of the Christ Child, Catalan School, 18th Century A finely carved and expressive figure from the late Baroque period. Crafted in wood with traces of its ori...

Outstanding image of the Virgin Mary Immaculate, made of wood pulp. This sculpture originated from the Olot School, created at the beginning of the 20th century in the Spanish town o...