Attributed to Giovanni delle Corniuole (circa 1470- after 1516) Italian, Florence, late 15th century

Robert O'Connor, London;
on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1978;
Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Paris, until 2009

C. Avery, 'A High Renaissance cameo: the Head of Christ attributed to Giovanni delle Corniuole (c. 1470- post-1516)', The Connoisseur, January 1979, pp. 20-21

Overall the condition of the cameo is very good with some minor wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is some minor veining consistent with the material visible at Christ's shoulder, neck and across the hair in the centre of the head. There are some small naturally occurring irregularities to the edges of the stone, including to the right of Christ's head. There is a scratch at the lower end of the scene on the reverse. There are losses to the enamel of the mount and some warping to the base in particular. The frame and base were reattached with glue. In a black leather box lined with black velvet and white silk.
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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."

This rare double sided cameo is a superb example of High Renaissance gem engraving. The general composition and the rendering of the hair are closely related to two highly regarded profile gems of Lorenzo de' Medici and Savonarola attributed to Giovanni delle Corniuole in the Palazzo Pitti (see Avery, op.cit., pls. A and D).

The Savonarola is mentioned by Vasari in the second edition of his Lives (1568) and there given to Giovanni delle Corniuole. His surname translates as ‘of the cornelians’ and therefore indicates his distinguished abilities as a gem cutter. Born in Pisa about 1470 to Lorenzo di Pietro delle Opere, Giovanni was employed by his father for a short time as a specialist in intaglios until 1492. Next Vasari mentions Giovanni's work for the new Republican government, who instructed him and two other goldsmiths to value the jewellery that they had seized after the Medici had been exiled. In 1513 he was commissioned to cut a cornelian depicting Hercules which served as the new seal of the Republic.

As Avery mentions (op.cit., pp. 75-76), there is equal proficiency in rendering the bone structure and physiognomy on the three gems. He remarks that despite their small scale and the intractability of the material, each portrait has a distinct and appropriate character. These characteristics are apparent in the present cameo, with the sensitive treatment of Christ’s imagined facial features, evoking the fragility of the human body.