Pair of 16th Century Italian Renaissance Carved Wooden Lion Supports

Renaissance Harpy bronze Italy, 16th century 15 x 12 x 5,5 cm This expressive bronze figure represents a harpy, a mythological creature with the body of a bird and the head and tor...

A pair of hand carved and parcel painted carved busts.

A pair of hand carved and parcel painted carved busts.

Set of two 16th century oak panels, one representing a character accompanied by a dog, the other a character in flames, probably saints. These ...

Base of a carved wooden candelabrum, polychrome and gilded; cross painted on both sides. Umbria or Tuscany, 16th century 136 x 43,5 x 30 cm (The cross and the base of the candelabrum were later assembled) The base of the candelabrum is intricately carved and adorned with polychrome and gilded finishes. The shafts take on the shape of balusters reminiscent of ancient columns, feature ornate foliage decorations, garlands and winged cherub faces. The feet are crafted in the likeness of lion paws. The base is further embellished with depictions of four saint martyrs, among them Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. The plasticity of the figures, outlined with strong contour lines, the clear and vibrant colors, are stylistic elements linked to the Umbrian tradition of the sixteenth century.The precisely defined and elegant drawing, along with the clear color palette applied with refined chiaroscuro modulations, became the signature of a style that would leave a lasting mark on the era to come. This is exemplified by a preference for vibrant, multicolored images, accentuated in this case by the use of red and pink in the saint's attire. A notable addition, introduced later, is a polylobed cross painted on both sides. On one side, the Crucifixion is vividly portrayed:The treatment of the corpus itself is in line with High Medieval practice, emphasizing pathos by showing Jesus dead, his arms sagging from the weight of the body. The upper section displaying a pelican pecks at her breast to feed her young with her own blood; a symbol of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross whose body and blood similarly nourishes the celebrant during Mass. The lower part depicts Golgotha. On the reverse side, the Resurrection is artistically presented in a Renaissance iconography, reminiscent of the renowned composition painted by Piero della Francesca, now housed in the Civic Museum of Sansepolcro. In terms of composition, with the frontal depiction of Christ holding the banner, this motif became particularly widespread in central Italy, spanning from Tuscany to Umbria throughout the 16th century.. The double-sided construction suggests that it may also have been carried in liturgical processions. In Umbria from the 14th century, the use of portable crosses painted on both sides had become a widespread practice, aimed at satisfying the monastic clientele that had significantly increased following the establishment of new religious communities. The earliest surviving Tuscan painted crucifix represent Christ as Christus Triumphans, or the “Triumphant Christ” with his head up and eyes open. This form was supplanted in the 13th century with the Christus Patiens, or “Suffering Christ” type who is shown often with his head fallen on his shoulder and his eyes closed, as In our cross. The iconography of the suffering Christ appears to have developed out of a new interest in Christ’s human nature, the development of the feast of Corpus Christi and with increased importance given to the Eucharist. The process of humanizing the figure of Christ reaches its peak with the abandonment of all the previous expressive conventions in favor of more realistic details we can observe in this Crucifix, such as the swollen belly, the arms stretched to the limit of muscle tearing, the body falling heavily forward, the abundant blood on the wounds, and the cross firmly embedded in the rock of Calvary. It's worth noting that Renaissance candelabra...

North Italian, 16th century Bust of the emperor Vitellius Bronze, on later bronze socle, lead support to reverse 18 cm. / 7 ins (the bust), 23 cm. / 9 ins overall This small yet attractive all’antica bust of a Roman emperor is inspired by a bust in Venice thought to depict Vitellius (15-69 AD), who ruled Rome for only eight months in 69 AD before he was overthrown by Vespasian. The Vitellio Grimani, also known as the pseudo-Vitellius, was discovered in Rome in 1505 during excavations on the Quirinale on land owned by the Venetian cardinal Domenico Grimani (1461-1523). On the death of Grimani the Vitellius was sent to Venice and bequeathed to the Republic of Venice, where it was displayed at the Palazzo Ducale from 1525 to 1593. It is now in the Museo arceologico nazionale di Venezia (inv. 20) and regarded as a portrait of an unknown Roman from the first half of the second century AD. The present small bust, with its rough, waxy surface and imaginative adaptation of the antique model on which it is based, bears all the hallmarks of Renaissance bronze modelling in the north of Italy. Indeed, the vigorous modelling is reminiscent of the works by Andrea Briosco, called Il Riccio (1470-1532), who worked in Padua in the Veneto and specialised in small bronzes based on antique subjects. See, for example, his head of Bacchus (private collection, offered at Sotheby’s London in 2021), which has a similarly waxy treatment of the hair. The fantastical lion-mask on the breastplate, with its stylised face and unusual braids of hair, is also typical of the imaginative re-working of antique motifs by Renaissance artists. This indicates that the present bust is probably by a follower of Riccio working in Padua or another centre of classicism in the Veneto. RELATED LITERATURE: L. Planiscig, 'Andrea Riccio...

Magnificent and Monumental 16th Century Renaissance Carved Oak Bust of Christ, Flemish Netherlandish, C. 1550 A powerful and deeply expressive Renaissance carved oak bust of Jesus C...

Lion of Forge, Spain, 16th century In forging, measurements: 10 x 17 x 5 cm Good condition Spanish private collection.

Prologue: An Ancient Mastery the Wooden Sculpture We begin our journey through Gothic art by presenting a magnificent Late Gothic Female Wooden Sculpture from the Flemish 500s. This ...

This fine and imposing sculpture is an excellent example of 16th century Italian craftsmanship. The figure is stood on a raised, shaped rectangular base with a carved "dolphin" at th...