A South Italian inlaid marble panel, Sicily, second half 17th century
Estimate
3,000 - 5,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
depicting two dolphins issuing from a shell flanked by birds above foliate scrolls, with some reliefs, set within a later white marble frame
Overall 119.5 x 68.5cm, 47in. x 27in.
5cm thick; 2in.
This panel is reminiscent of the remarkable marble inlays throughout the Church of the Gesù (Chiesa del Gesù, also known as Casa professa), Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Church of the Immaculate Conception in Palermo. Further similarities can be found with the work of the Carlo D'Aprile workshop, after designs by Gasparo Guercio in the Cappella di Santa Gemma Galgani at the Church of Sant'Ignazio all'Olivella in Palermo. These decorations, called marmi mischi (marble inlay work) in ancient historiographical documents, were likely imported into the island by Tuscan artisans. It is characterized by a black paragone background (as opposed to the Neapolitan examples which often had multi-coloured backgrounds) with naturalistic motifs in white (from Carrara), yellow (from Castronovo, often reddish after heating), red (from Piana dei Greci) and grey (bardiglio from Carrara).
