Scuola veneta

Veneto, 16th century Flight into Egypt Bronze plaque, 10 x 8 cm Antique frame, 33 x 22 cm Refined chiseled bronze plaque depicting the evangelical episode of the Flight into Egypt, made in the Veneto area during the 16th century. The precious bronze plaque is contained in an antique 17th-century frame in gilded wood carved with scrolls and acanthus leaves. The depicted event is narrated in the Gospel of Matthew (2:13-23), and here, in the left corner, within a lush landscape that occupies a large part of the representation, the Holy Family is depicted moving away from the city of Bethlehem. The Virgin and Child are fleeing on the back of a donkey led by Joseph towards Egypt. After the visit of the Magi, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, warning him of the danger of Herod the Great, telling him to take Mother and Son and go to Egypt (2:13-14), so that Jesus could escape the massacre of the innocents. The narrative tone is intimate and contemplative, emphasized by the rendering of minute details and the fluid composition of the landscape, where nature and architecture blend harmoniously. These bas-relief chiseled bronze plaques were highly prestigious works in the Renaissance, often used as private devotional objects, inserted into sacred furniture or as study models for goldsmiths and sculptors. The process generally starts with a lost-wax mold or a matrix, and is then finished with a chisel with great skill, as in this case, where the details of the landscape and the folds of the garments are executed with extraordinary precision. Numerous contemporary examples are preserved in museum collections, often attributed to Paduan or Venetian workshops, active between the late 15th and early 17th centuries. This particular iconography of the Flight into Egypt, set in a wooded or hilly landscape, is also common in Florentine and Lombard plaques, but here it takes on a typically Venetian quality, evident in the softness of the forms and in the perspective construction of the background. The work is mounted in a contemporary antique frame in gilded and carved wood, decorated with scroll and acanthus leaf motifs, typical of Paduan and Venetian Baroque of the first half of the 17th century. This combination, of learned and devotional taste, suggests a private devotional use, intended for a refined clientele. This plaque represents a precious example of Renaissance micro-sculpture. It is an object of great collector's appeal, capable of speaking to both connoisseurs and enthusiasts, ideal for a collection of sacred decorative arts or 16th-century Italian bronzes. All our works are accompanied by a thorough certificate of authenticity. Professional packaging and insured shipping to ensure maximum safety during transport. For more information, please contact us +39 3335747733 – info@dequart.com Possibility of VIDEO CALLS and direct views by appointment in MILAN and OMEGNA (Vb).