 |
Madonna with the Christ Child and Saint John the Baptist Size: Size: 2 1/16 x 1 11/16 Material: Shell Date: 20th Century Origin: Italy Condition: Mint. There is no wear to the high points of the carving. There are no chips, cracks or other surface damage. Retail value: $950.00 In this scene the Madonna sits on a low boulder, the infant Jesus on her knee. Next to the mother and son stands a sturdy toddler, the young John the Baptist. The two children, each lightly draped, together hold a cross. The MadonnaÕs face wears an expression of tenderness. Her garments are deftly rendered: the dress is high-necked with a long sleeve cuffed at the wrist. The skirt falls in soft folds to the ground as her bare toes peep out from its hem. She is double-veiled, a diaphanous under-veil hanging loosely beneath her chin, partly covering her neck while the second covers most of her hair and falls onto her shoulders. John the Baptist, the son of MaryÕs cousin Elizabeth, was slightly older than Jesus. Paintings of the Madonna and Child in the company of the young Saint John were very popular in the Renaissance and the Baroque. Often, the figures of Saint Joseph, Saint Elizabeth or Saint Anne are also present. Cameo carvers often take their inspiration from well-known paintings. Pertinent to this cameo is the ÒMadonna with Child, St Elizabeth and the Infant St JohnÓ by the Florentine painter Francesco Ubertini (1494 - 1557), who painted under the name Bacchiacca. It is reproduced here. The cameo is nearly identical to the Bacchiacca in every major respect, save the absence of Saint Elizabeth, omitted from the small surface of the cameo to avoid crowding. Many masters, including Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci, di Bartolo, Perugino, Correggio, Andrea del Sarto, Bartolommeo, Pontormo, Poussin, Bassano, Tosini, Perugino and El Greco produced works on the theme. Of all these, the design of the Bacchiacca is closest to the scene shown on the cameo and is almost certainly the source of the cameo design. The cameo is skillfully carved and well designed, demonstrating excellent balance and proportion. The Madonna is serene and graceful and the figures of the children are vigourous with a playful sense of movement. It is in mint condition and the shell from which it is carved is exceptionally good quality: the figures have a creamy, marble-like appearance and the background field has been polished to a lustrous finish. This is a large, appealing devotional cameo with a retail value of $950.00 |
 |
 |