Bottega di Pietro Belverte e Giovanni da Nola

Rare and refined wooden half-bust of a saint, probably Saint Peter or God the Father, depicted with the triregnum on his head. The sculpture maintains exceptional polychromy in the face and the finely decorated robe with "scratched" pure gold, a decorative technique known as "Estofado de Oro". The artistic context to which the sculpture belongs is that of Italian sculptural workshops in which conspicuous artistic tendencies of Spanish tradition flowed following the conquest of the Duchy of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples during the 16th century. Therefore, there will be the reception and development of these techniques from the 16th century and throughout the 17th century, in all areas under Spanish influence, in the Kingdom of Naples, in Sardinia, Sicily and in the Lombard area, then Veneto, Piedmont and Liguria. Given the sculptural quality and the very fine decoration which is exceptionally preserved, it is highly probable that it is a work attributable to the Bergamo carver Pietro Belverte (second half of the 15th century - 1512), who arrived in Naples to open a workshop, in which the famous Neapolitan sculptor Giovanni Marigliano, known as Giovanni da Nola (1488-1558), was trained. In fact, it is possible to note stylistic affinities with the Neapolitan works of Belverte and the wooden works of Marigliano's early phase. Estofado de Oro consists of a particular decorative technique for the realization of sacred images on polychrome wood, in which the carved surface is covered with a layer of pure gold leaf on which a layer of clay bole is applied that could have colors ranging from orange-red to dark brown. Subsequently, the gold leaf was then covered with color. The shades that were applied were different because the contrast with the gold had to be chromatically effective: green, blue, red, black and white. Subsequently, the color was removed by scratching it with a special tool called a lion's tooth to free the parts in which one intended to bring the gold back to the surface. The whole thing took on a brilliant, shimmering color. Excellent state of preservation of the work. Its dimensions are 61 cm in height and 62 cm in width (arm span). We attach a historical guarantee to the sale that certifies its age and authenticity.