Circle of Niccolò dell'Arca (circa. 1435-1494) Italian, Bologna, second half 15th century

with Morandotti, Milan, 1949
Carlo Momigliano, Rome
and thence by descent to the present owner

Otto Kurz, Falsi e falsari, Venice, 1960, pp. 158-159, figs. 145-148

The marbles have been outside so there is weathering and losses to the surface as a result. There is water damage especially to the backs of the angels – particularly to the left angel at the wings and proper left side. The thumb and some of the fingers of the proper right hand have been restored, as are the fingers of the right angel's proper right hand. There are large losses to both wings of the right angel and the proper right wing of the left angel. There are also large losses to the scrolls of both angels and to the bases. There are further losses including to the noses and hair. There are linear scratch marks to both angels including to the proper left side of the right angel. The surfaces are encrusted in areas, including to the face of the left angel. There are a few reattachments including to the scroll of the left angel and to her proper right wing. There are numerous small chips and losses to the drapery of both angels. There are also small holes throughout the surfaces. There are paint marks and dirt to the surfaces. There is veining consistent with material.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

These beautiful marbles are closely related to a pair of angels carved by Niccolò dell’Arca in the 1470’s, which surmount the Arca di S. Domenico in the church of S. Domenico in Bologna. Their emotionally charged facial expressions and the remarkable sense of movement created as they rush forwards, drapery flying behind them, is paralleled in 15^th-century Italian sculpture only by dell’Arca’s angels and by his famous Lamentation group in the church of S. Maria della Vita in the same city. The correspondences, which are not merely stylistic, but also technical, are such that an attribution to an artist working within the circle of Niccolò dell'Arca can be confidently proposed.

Of the two figures from the Arca, the running angel on the left side of the sarcophagus is most similar to the present pair. This is partly due to her movement: she, like the present angels, rushes forwards in reaction to an event. Note, in particular, the close correspondences between the drapery worn by the present angels and dell’Arca’s figure. Each wears the same v-shaped chemise, whilst their drapes are held together with pins at the thigh. Dell’Arca’s angel’s drapes fly behind her in defined arched curves, which are exactly paralleled in the present marbles (notably between the figures’ legs). Characteristic of dell’Arca’s angel are her thick wavy strands of hair, which rise high above her head as she propels forwards. Similar thick locks are seen again forming the present angels’ coiffures: the right figure’s hair is particularly close, as it similarly lifts upwards and flies backwards.

One of the techniques used by Niccolò dell’Arca in his work on the Arca was that of drilling into crevices, leaving a seemingly regular series of drill holes. This technique is particularly apparent in the hair and on the wings of his angel from the right side of the Arca. The technique has likewise been employed by the carver of the present sculpture, and can be seen in the hair and between some of the folds of drapes (thought admittedly not to the virtuoso effect achieved on the Arca). Observe also dell’Arca’s angels’ weighty wings, which are heavily feathered at the top. The wings of the present angels similarly follow this same formular, with particular attention paid to the spines of each of the feathers.

It is interesting to note the relationship between the present marbles and the work of another important 15th-century sculptor active in Bologna, Jacopo della Quercia (c. 1374-1438), an artist who is understood to have influenced the young Niccolò dell’Arca. The dynamic sense of movement, craning necks and the delicate fingers holding elaborate trailing scrolls in the present marbles, find parallels in della Quercia’s oeuvre. Della Quercia's most notable project in Bologna was the Main Portal of the cathedral of S. Pietro. One of the key motifs of his sculptural programme are the long curling scrolls held by each of his figures, which are very similar to those held by the present angels. Note in particular prophet 7 from the Main Portal: the neck angled to the left, windswept hair and thin dextrous fingers holding a curling scroll and drapes compare closely with the present angels (see Beck, op. cit., p. 304, fig. 123).

Despite having been associated with della Arca by Cesare Gnudi in verbal conversations with their then proprietor Carlo Momigliano, the marbles were dismissed as fakes by Otto Kurtz in 1958, though with the explicit caveat that the author had only viewed them from photographs. Inspection of the marbles in the flesh confirms that Kurtz was mistaken and that they do, indeed, date to the 15^th century. They exhibit patches of water damage which can only have been caused over decades, possibly centuries.

Very few works by Niccolò dell'Arca exist today. The present, serenely beautiful, marbles therefore provide the rare opportunity of acquiring two works which are closely related to one of the more original sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, an artist who created some of the most emotionally charged and affecting sculptures ever made and who stands within a category apart from his contemporaries.

RELATED LITERATURE
C. Hill (ed.), Courtauld Institute Illustration Archives. Archive 2. 15th & 16th Century Sculpture, London, 1977, nos. 2/4/2, 2/4/6-7 and 2/4/56-63; G. Agostini and L. Ciammitti, Niccolò dell'Arca. Seminario di studi, Bologna, 1987; J. Beck, Jacopo della Quercia, New York and Oxford, 1991, pp. 298-310, figs. 117-129; H. Geddes, 'Niccolò Bolognese ancora fu discepolo di Iacopo': the work of Niccolò dell'Arca and Jacopo della Quercia', Sculpture Journal, 17.1, 2008, pp. 5-18