Dei Bardi Art Wall Decorations

Decorative Carved Panel France, 19th Century 15,5 x L 30,5 x 3 cm Carved in richly grained wood, this 19th-century decorative panel draws direct inspiration from Renaissance ornamen...

The Martyrdom of Santa Barbara Wool and silk tapestry Bruges, 1530-50 270 x 198 cm Expertise by Professor Guy Delmarcel This Flemish tapestry is a remarkable example of 16th-century craftsmanship, distinguished by its exceptionally well-preserved color palette. The medaillon-shaped center stands out against a background of dark blue roses and acanthus leaves. It depicts the martyrdom of Saint Barbara, identified by the tower where she was imprisoned. According to legend, her father, Dioscorus, is about to behead her with a scimitar, while an angel descends from the heavens to strike him with lightning. At the bottom, beneath Saint Barbara, two fantastical creatures. On the left is a griffon depicted with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. On the right is a creature with the body of a leopard, the head of an elephant adorned in a fancy blue cloak. Both animals face each other standing either side of a green hill top in the middle of the tapestry. The lavish scene of the tapestry is framed by a border which is embellished with foliage, flowers and fantastical elephant heads in blue and white on a red background. The corners and center of the edges display goldsmith-objects. The vibrant brick-red colour and striking bluish-green leaves create a stunning visual impact, showcasing the outstanding state of conservation. Professor Guy Delmarcel connects this tapestry to a series of textiles produced in Bruges after 1530, characterized by their fantastical nature scenes populated with imaginative creatures. Most feature similar roses and acanthus-leaves as well as other vegetation, with wild animals appearing ready to attack. Two almost identical pieces preserved at the Art Institute of Chicago (Bruges, 336 x 599 cm) and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam ("Tournai," 285 x 490 cm) serve as prime examples. The entire surface is filled with greenery, along with birds and fantastic animals. This tapestry exemplifies the rich decorative style of the time, merging naturalistic and poetic elements with exotic animals that spark the imagination. Other works of this type follow the theme of the "Closed Garden." In the lower register, fantastical creatures occasionally appear, as seen in the exquisite Bruges Tapestry displayed at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Paris, and in the example from the Burrell Collection in Glasgow. The Parisian tapestry from Bruges features a mythical animal in the lower register, dressed in blue fabric, which closely resembles the animal in our tapestry. If Enghien or other centers produced similar pieces, several elements suggest a stronger connection to Bruges for two formal reasons: The overall colour-palette of our tapestry fabric characterized by pronounced brick-red colours and bluish-green leaves, aligns more closely with Bruges than with Tournai or Enghien. The intricate border design with the warm brick-red background, adorned with floral motifs, goldsmith-inspired elements such as incense burners and small bells, can be traced back to Bruges around 1530. This style, often associated with heraldic imagery, underscores the tapestry's connection to the city's rich artistic heritage. A comparable example is the tapestry featuring the Arms of Paolo Giovio, now part of the Prince of Liechtenstein's collection in Vaduz. This piece, set against a brick-red background, depicts arms and armors, cornucopias, boys riding grotesque dolphins, as well as various flowers and leaves. All available literature dates this group of tapestries to the second quarter of the sixteenth century. A key formal element further supports this dating: the executioner, depicted preparing to behead Barbara, wields a Turkish scimitar, a reference to the frequent Ottoman incursions into Central Europe beginning with the 1529 siege of Vienna...

Flemish school of the 16th century Allegory of Africa
After The Allegories of the Continents by Maerten de Vos (engraving by Adriaen Collaert)
 Oil on copper
 Inscription: "Giulio Ro...

Rare Canaanite Anthropoid Coffin Lid Terra Cotta 12th – 10th Century BC Provenance: Public Auction Paris (2022) Private Collection F. Antonovich (Paris – 1980s) Art Loss Register...

Circle of Pietro Cavallini (Rome, 1250–1330)
 St. Bartholomew
 Fresco transferred onto canvas Umbria, 14th century
66.5 x 40 cm Provenance: Collection of Raymond Van Marle (The Hagu...

Bolognese School of the 16th Century Mummy of Saint Catherine of Bologna
Oil on Panel 20,5 x 7 x 0,8 cm This rare painting depicts Saint Catherine of Bologna as a mummy, housed in a ...

Wool Tapestry from Egypt 
Late Antique Period; 5th–7th Century C.E.
 This band fragment features geometric decorations in red and black. Textiles like this are believed to have been...

Vittorio Amadio (Italy, 1934) African Masks Acrylic on canvas Signed on the back, 2004 30 x 40 cm Authenticity certificate Vittorio Amadio experiments with non-form as an essenti...

Renaissance relief depicting two female figures dressed in a chiton Italy, probably Rome, 16th century Marble, wooden frame (provenance label on the back) 28 x 20 x 5 cm This beau...

Attributed to Domenico di Paris, also called Domenico del Cavallo ( Monselice, documented in Ferrara between 1442 and 1501) Madonna and The Child Polychromed and gilded Stucco 47,5 ...

Tuscan Coat of Arm in terra-cotta signed "A. Salvietti 187x" Signed and Dated "A. Salvetti 187x" 73 x 48 cm Antonio Salvietti (1854-1931) was an Italian architect and painter. He w...

Antonio Travi called Le Sestri (Sestri Ponente, 1608 - Genova 1665) Seascape with ruins Genova, First half of 17th century Oil on canvas with his original 17th century frame M...

Walter Shirlaw (1838-1909) Study for decorative panel Pencil and watercolor on paper mounted on paperboard Measures: 62.5 x 74 x 5 cm (with frame) 50.5 x 62 (without the frame) Signed in the circle lower right Born near Glasgow in Scotland, Walter Shirlaw settled with his family in New York in 1841, when he was two or three years old. As a young boy, he took night classes at the National Academy of Design, and first exhibited his work there in 1861. The first years of his career were spent as an engraver at the American Bank-Note Company, while at the same time attempting to establish himself as a painter. He later moved to Chicago, where he continued to work as an banknote engraver and also taught art at the Chicago Academy of Design. In 1870, at the relatively late age of thirty-two, Shirlaw travelled to Europe to study. Prevented from settling in Paris by the Franco-Prussian War, he instead studied in Munich, where he joined the small group of American painters working in the city, including Frank Duveneck and William Merrit Chase...

Portrait of a Gentleman from Della Ruota family Lombardy, dated 1624 Oil on canvas Measures: 105 x 81 cm (without the frame) The coat of arms at the top left of the portrait identifies the effigy as an aristocrat belonging to the Lombard family Della Ruota, represented at the age of 61 in 1624. The presence of vanity at the bottom right is a clear reference to the passage of time, to the aging and dying body...

Series of Six Architectural Drawings Italy, '40 - '50 Signed and dated "P. Sinisi" (between 1948 - 1951) Pencil on paper black frame 67 x 52 x 1.2 cm (with frame) 48 x 33.5 ...

Wax relief depicting a vase with flowers Italy, mid-19th century Signed "Scot. inv et fecit" Measures: 37 x 44 x 7,5 cm.  

Leandro Bassano (Bassano del Grappa 1557 - Venise 1662) Portrait of a savant Venise, XVI century Oil on canvas; modern frame. Measures: 117 x 88 ...