Workshop of Giuseppe and Bartolomeo Mazzuoli 1644 - 1725 and ? - 1749

within later partially gilt and painted wood framework

Montegufoni Castle, Tuscany (removed in the 19^th Century); Private Collection, England; Heim Gallery, London

Heim Summer 1976, no. 31; Washington, New York, Cambridge 1979-1982, no. 21 (illus.); New York 1981, no. 13; Chicago 1987-1988, no. 9

Extensive restorations throughout due to breaks, but the majority of the original relief is extant. Surface abrasions and chips. A thin layer of polychromy has been applied to create a more uniform surface. There are some slightly darker areas in the upper sections. Cracks through Christ’s proper left elbow. Areas of restoration include the standing figure’s hands and the sky. Nicely modeled. Generally stable. Minor chips to frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

RELATED LITERATURE

Butzek 1988; Gentilini and Sisi, 1989; Butzek 2007

This large and striking relief relates to Giuseppe Mazzuoli's first recorded work, the Dead Christ on the antependium of the altar of Santa Maria della Scala, Siena (1670-71). The bozzetto for the relief, in the Chigi-Saracini Collection, unlike the finished work for Santa Maria della Scala, shows Christ with his hand resting on his thigh and with his legs crossed, like the present relief (Gentilini and Sisi, op. cit., 1989, pl. XIX). However, the position of the body (turned toward the viewer) and the head of Christ thrown backward are closer to the figure of the Deposed Christ by Giuseppe's nephew Bartolomeo (Gentilini and Sisi, op. cit., 1989, cat. 101). Reliefs with the Deposed Christ with Angels by Bartolomeo and his workshop exist in various institutions but none of them approach the size and depth of the present relief.

Avery (Washington, New York, Cambridge 1979-1982, op. cit.) notes that Donato Acciaili (1622-1704) restored the Montegufoni Chapel and "enriched it with sacred relics", probably after he inherited it in 1691. Montegufoni lies between Florence and Siena, not far from the Church of Santa Maria della Scala where Giuseppe worked early in his career. It is interesting to note that a nearly identical but smaller terracotta relief measuring 73.5 by 68 cm is stored in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (see Washington, New York, Cambridge 1979-1982, p. 76, fig. 1) and could be a preliminary model for the present work.