- 219
A fine Italian micromosaic plaque circa 1880
Estimate
10,000 - 12,000 EUR
bidding is closed
Description
- 26cm. high, 22cm. wide.
depicting a peasant girl fleeing from a tempest, set in a black slate plate, unframed
Literature
RELATED LITERATURE
Constantino G. Bulgari, Argentieri gemmari e orafi d'Italia, Rome 1959.
Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios,The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection (exh.cat.), Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, 1977.
Constantino G. Bulgari, Argentieri gemmari e orafi d'Italia, Rome 1959.
Alvar Gonzalez-Palacios,The Art of Mosaics: Selections from the Gilbert Collection (exh.cat.), Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, 1977.
Condition
In overall good condition with some minor light surface scratching. Minor frits to the rims of the slate plate.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Micromosaics are made from thousands of tiny coloured enamel rods, painstakingly assembled and secured with a slow drying adhesive. The best micromosaics can contain over 5,000 of these tesserae per square inch. The colour range of mosaics would have been fairly limited, as the material was translucent glass paste. So materials were developed, such as oil based mastics, until circa 1730 when the Vatican studio perfected opaque enamel and boasted it had over 15.000 colours and tints at the disposal of their artists. This new material also permitted mosaics to be thinner and flatter, allowing the artist to introduce more subtlety in execution.
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century the materials used for mosaics were dramatically refined. This enabled mosaic makers to execute much smaller works, leading to the emergence of micromosaics. Most of these were bought by tourists visiting Rome and often executed by poorly paid Vatican mosaicists who established their own workshops. By 1810 over twenty highly successful workshops were active in Rome, mostly clustered around the Spanish Steps.
During the last quarter of the eighteenth century the materials used for mosaics were dramatically refined. This enabled mosaic makers to execute much smaller works, leading to the emergence of micromosaics. Most of these were bought by tourists visiting Rome and often executed by poorly paid Vatican mosaicists who established their own workshops. By 1810 over twenty highly successful workshops were active in Rome, mostly clustered around the Spanish Steps.