Giovanni della Robbia (1469-1529) Italian, Florence, circa 1500-1510

Binoche et Giquello, Paris, 26 June 1996, p. 44, no.34
private collection, Paris

G. Gentilini, I Della Robbia e l’arte nuova della scultura invetriata, Basilica di Sant' Alessandro, 29 May - 1 November, 1998, no. III8, pp. 264-265

 

G. Gentilini, I Della Robbia e l’arte nuova della scultura invetriata, Basilica di Sant' Alessandro, 29 May - 1 November, 1998, no. III8, pp. 264-265
G. Pratesi, Repertorio della Scultura Fiorentina del Cinquecento, vol.II, Allemandi & C.,ed., 2003, n. 337

Overall standard surface abrasion, small losses and chipping throughout. Larger chips to glaze on the serpent's tail (two) and on the right side of the Saint's cloak. Smaller chips include all areas of cuirass, tips of feathers, some locks of hair and toes (mainly visible in catalogue illustration).Some pitting to and abraded glaze including along his left upper thigh, back left side of skirt and back of blue cloak on his left. Possibly small patch of re-glazing on upper area of cloak where, it has been suggested, that there may have been a clean break at his shoulder (although there it is not visible). Proper right hand probably broken at wrist and reattached. Restoration on dragon's left side of head and left. Otherwise some small fills to minor holes from firing. Metal blade and cross perhaps replaced long ago. Standard craquelure to surface. Stable. Lovely quality and modeling.
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Prominent in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings, St. Michael was universally known as a champion against evil. In the medieval period he was  the patron saint of chivalry as well as a healer. Here, as he brandishes his sword, St. Michael prepares to slay the devil, in the guise of a serpent, writhing beneath his feet. The white orb surmounted by a metal cross in this figure’s proper left hand, represents his guardianship over all souls, although the Saint was more often depicted  holding scales for the weighing of souls on Judgment day.

Giancarlo Gentilini explains (1998, op.cit., p. 264) that there was an abundance of images of the Archangel Michael in Florentine late 15^th century art due to  Savonarola’s fanaticism and moral proselytization which greatly influenced both the cultural and social life of Florence.

The particular quality of the detail on this figure, including the richly decorated and finely worked cuirass,  leaves no doubt, according to Gentilini, as to the importance of the artist who he has established as Giovanni della Robbia.This small, refined sculpture stands with his weight on his proper left leg and his hip thrust to his side. The posture was clearly inspired by the celebrated life-size bronze figure of David by Andrea Verrocchio which was prominently installed in the Palazzo Vecchio, Florence by 1476.

A group of five related sculptures, also dependent upon Verrocchio’s David in subject and carriage, are in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, the Bode Museum, Berlin  and  the National Gallery of Art, Washington. Marquand (1920, op.cit., pp. 212-213, n. 214) ascribed the Berlin statuettes to Giovanni, while Pope-Hennessy (1964, op.cit., pp.191-192, nos. 170 and 171) asserted that the two in London were by the hand of the "Master of the Saint David and Saint John Statuettes”. The Washington example is still catalogued as by the aforementioned Master.

RELATED LITERATURE
J. Pope-Hennessy, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1964
A. Marquand, Giovanni della Robbia, Princeton, 1920

This lot is sold with a thermoluminescence analysis report dated 17 February 2014 from Art-Test arte e diognostica stating that the sample taken is compatible with the proposed date of 16th century