Lot 327
  • 327

An Italian marble relief of the Madonna and Child, after a composition by the Master of the Piccolomini Madonna, 19th century

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 USD
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Description

  • Marble
  • overall: 48 by 31 in.; 121.9 by 78.7 cm. sight size of marble: 23 3/4 by 16 in. 60.3 by 40.6cm

Provenance

Musatti, Florence
Walter and Catalina von Pannwitz, Berlin and Heemstede, acquired from the above in 1911

Literature

John Pope-Hennessey, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1964, vol. I, pp. 262-263 (mentioned as version vi)

Condition

General surface abrasions, dirt, and some chipping throughout. Frame with some losses, later polychromy, and abrasions. Frame composed of some early elements.
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.

Catalogue Note

The present relief is one of nine known versions in marble of a probably Sienese composition of the Madonna and Child by an unknown master active in the second half of the 15th century.  One of the two examples in the Musée du Louvre and another in the Chigi-Saracini collection in Siena bear the coat of arms of the Piccolomini; these two examples are the best of the group and are possibly by the same hand. Bode and Pope-Hennessey suggested that the existence of so many marble variants of a single composition might indicate the existence of a lost original, possibly by Donatello; other candidates have been proposed including Vecchietta and Giovanni di Stefano.  The variable quality of the group indicates that some, including the present relief and the example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession umber 30.95.104), must be of later date.