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The Michelangelo Cameo Size: 1 - 5/8 by 1 - 1/4 inches Material: Shell, unframed Date : ca 1820 Origin: Italy Condition: Mint. The cameo has never been framed and seldom handled. There are no surface flaws and no wearing to high points of the carving. It is in rare condition for a cameo of its age. This is a right-facing head and shoulders portrait in profile of the Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti. It shows the master, who lived from 1475 to 1564, a remarkable lifespan for that era, in the autumn of his life. Here, as in the portrait he painted of himself, Michelangelo sports a flowing beard and mustache and a full head of thick, curly hair. The swirling tendrils of the hair and the beard are finely delineated, carved with an assured, delicate technique by an accomplished artisan. His forehead is high and slightly creased. His right ear is fully realised in fine detail. The mouth, though partly obscured by the whiskers, is firm and tinged with humour. The nose, although it features a slight bump, is idealised; in real life Michelangelo had a broken nose. (During his student days a fellow art student, envious of Michelangelo's superior talent as a sculptor, assaulted Michelangelo in an envious rage, fracturing his nose). The eyes are serene, purposeful and far seeing. He is dressed in a tightly-buttoned coat with the point of his shirt collar just visible. This portrait bears a sly, witty resemblance to Michelangelo's great sculpture of Moses (but fortunately lacks the horns shown protruding from the Biblical patriarch's head). Although the cameo depicts an aging man, there is no suggestion of infirmity; indeed, strength radiates from the face. It is an arresting, vigorous portrait of a man who, having accomplished remarkable things, is not past his prime and has more wonders to achieve. Portrait cameos are steadily appreciating in value. This desirable piece is sure to rouse the interest of serious cameo collectors. It has a retail value of $1,100.00. |
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