Lot 350
- 350
An Italian painted cartapesta relief of the Madonna and Child, from the Della Robbia workshop, probably second half 15th century, Florence
Estimate
8,000 - 10,000 USD
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Description
- stucco/cartapesta with hay
- overall 31 by 23 3/8 in.; 79 by 59.4 cm., within gilt and painted wood tabernacle frame
Exhibited
C. Avery et. al., Early Renaissance Reliefs, Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, January 9- February 3, 2001, no. 3
Condition
Restorations throughout particularly to some surface areas and probably below Holy Spirit and to lower corners. Chipping around edge. Many layers of polychromy. Chipping and surface abrasions throughout. Frame with some restoration, cracks, and losses, refreshed gilding and polychromy throughout. Some of dental molding on top replaced, otherwise cracks which are fairly stable.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The present composition derives from two low reliefs of the Madonna and Child made by Luca della Robbia for the Chapel of the Madonna in the church of Santa Maria in Impruneta, a small village outside of Florence. The chapel housed a sacred painting of the Madonna and Child that was believed to have special powers in controlling the weather and which was brought to Florence in a sacred prosession and placed in the Duomo at times of emergencies. In the middle of the 15th century, a program of rebuilding and modernization took place in the church and several artists, including Michelozzo and Luca della Robbia, were called upon to decorate the Chapel of the Madonna which flanked the high altar. The enamelled terracotta elements in the chapel are by Luca. Other examples of this composition exist, including one in the in the Bode Museum, Berlin and one in the Louvre, Paris.
Here the tender relationship between the Mother and Child are apparent as He folds His body into hers with His arms around her neck while she gently bows her head. The pre💟sent relief is made of cartapesta, a form of papier maché which was, like terracotta and stucco, frequently used in the 15th and 16th centu🅺ries for the replication of popular relief sculpture.
RELATED LITERATURE
Alan Marquand, Luca della Robbia, Princeton, 1919, pp. 82-85
John Pope-Henessy, Luca della Robbia, Oxford, 1980, pp. 81-85, 245-246, cat. no. 15, figs. 84 a&b
Giancarlo Gentilini, I della Robbia, Milan, 1992, vol. I, pp. 104 and 132
La Sculptura in cartapesta..., Museo Diaocesano di Milano, Milan, 2008