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Giovanni Francesco Pieri (Prato, 1699 - Napoli, 1773)Attributed to
Pair of Italian ceroplasts, Naples, 17th-18th century
Height x width x depth each: 31 x 25 x 4 cm. Total weight: 2328 g.
The two pieces depict polychrome modelled and painted waxes within wooden and gilded wood frames.
The two compositions depict two scenes from the New Testament:
The two compositions depict two scenes from the New Testament:
The first scene, on the left, shows the Holy Family set in a countryside landscape. In the center, the Madonna, dressed in red and blue, holding the Infant Jesus by the hand, and beside them, the figure of St. John the Baptist, recognizable by the pelts, a characteristic garment of the adult saint.
The second scene, on the right, depicts the Noli Me Tangere, the encounter between Christ and Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection, when Magdalene, kneeling, meets Jesus, standing, in the evangelical garden.
The two bas-reliefs, characterised by the elaborate scenic construction and the attention of natural and anatomical details, although unsigned, are consistent with the production of the ceroplasta Giovanni Francesco Pieri or his circle and show strong similarities with those preserved in the Museo di San Martino in Naples.
The two bas-reliefs, characterised by the elaborate scenic construction and the attention of natural and anatomical details, although unsigned, are consistent with the production of the ceroplasta Giovanni Francesco Pieri or his circle and show strong similarities with those preserved in the Museo di San Martino in Naples.
Literature:
A pupil of the sculptor Gioacchino Fortini, Pieri was active between 1713 and 1740, distinguishing himself as a medalist, modeler, and portrait artist, but above all as one of the most skilled wax sculptors of his time. He initially worked at the Medici court and later at the Bourbon court in Naples. According to the biographer Francesco Gabburri, he specialized from a young age in creating colored wax figures in high and low relief, which were particularly appreciated by the last Medici Grand Duke, Gian Gastone. The Grand Duke entrusted him with the direction of the Arazzeria (Tapestry Workshop) in the Royal Gallery of Works, also assigning him the studio previously used by his master, Fortini.
With the death of the Grand Duke and the end of the Medici dynasty in 1737, Pieri moved to Naples, where Charles of Bourbon had been reigning since 1734. There, too, he was appointed head of the tapestry workshop established by the sovereign. However, his success was primarily linked to his talent as a refined portraitist and creator of intricate wax scenes. His works, often unsigned, sometimes bear a paper label affixed to the back of the small slate-backed boxes that served as the base for his compositions.
A pupil of the sculptor Gioacchino Fortini, Pieri was active between 1713 and 1740, distinguishing himself as a medalist, modeler, and portrait artist, but above all as one of the most skilled wax sculptors of his time. He initially worked at the Medici court and later at the Bourbon court in Naples. According to the biographer Francesco Gabburri, he specialized from a young age in creating colored wax figures in high and low relief, which were particularly appreciated by the last Medici Grand Duke, Gian Gastone. The Grand Duke entrusted him with the direction of the Arazzeria (Tapestry Workshop) in the Royal Gallery of Works, also assigning him the studio previously used by his master, Fortini.
With the death of the Grand Duke and the end of the Medici dynasty in 1737, Pieri moved to Naples, where Charles of Bourbon had been reigning since 1734. There, too, he was appointed head of the tapestry workshop established by the sovereign. However, his success was primarily linked to his talent as a refined portraitist and creator of intricate wax scenes. His works, often unsigned, sometimes bear a paper label affixed to the back of the small slate-backed boxes that served as the base for his compositions.
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Curiosities from European and Oriental art
Curiosities from European and Oriental art
Silvers, Ivories, Corals, Icons, and Wunderkammer
Palazzo Caetani Lovatelli, tue 25 February 2025
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