42
Allegory, Probably 17th-18th century
Bronze transparent greenish patina on a black background
23 x 21 x 13 cm
This extraordinary bronze depicts an allegory that is not easy to interpret.
The figure on the left represents a woman with withered breasts, snakes in her hair and a fiery stick in her right hand.
The figure on the right is a naked man holding a mask removed from the woman's face. In the left hand a stick, between the legs a lit fire.
In the back, in the base of the base, a writing in French that alludes to discord, unfortunately not easy to read as the typographical characters mix and they overlap.
In various treatises on iconology (see Cartari and Ripa) envy is represented as an old woman with sagging breasts, snakes in her hair, devouring a heart. The representation of discord holding a lit firebrand in his hand is similar, as in our case.
From a stylistic point of view, this representation refers to similar compositions of the Baroque or late Baroque Tuscan school. For example, the way of treating the clod of ground on which the figures stand out recalls the ways of Soldani Benzi, while la greenish patina and the writing in French they push us towards France.
Literature:
Edited by Eike D. Schmidt, Sandro Bellesi, Riccardo Gennaioli, Shaped by Fire, exhibition catalogue, Le Sillabe, Livorno, 2019.
Edited by Eike D. Schmidt, Sandro Bellesi, Riccardo Gennaioli, Shaped by Fire, exhibition catalogue, Le Sillabe, Livorno, 2019.
Live auction 306
Sculpture and Small Bronzes from 15th to 19th Century
Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, fri 28 June 2024
SINGLE SESSION 28/06/2024 Hours 16:00
LOTTO 42