Relief, Querubines - 36 cm - Wood

Pair of plaster-relief “Cherubim”, polychrome wood, 18th century - Spain
Material: Carved and polychrome wood
School: Castilian School
Period: 18th century
Country of origin: Spain
Minor defects that do not interfere with the overall view of the piece
Dimensions: 36 x 27 x 16 cm.

Exquisite pair of cherubim alto-reliefs dated to the 18th century, probably belonging to the Castilian school.
They are two rectangular carved wooden reliefs, polychromed and gilded. Each features a cherub with rosy cheeks, brown, curly hair, and gilded paired wings. They seem to emerge from a maelstrom, from a mass of clouds that acts as the relief’s base. They could possibly form part of a larger ensemble such as an altarpiece or some other liturgical ornament.
There are slight signs of use due to age and handling, which do not affect the overall view of the pieces.
On the biblical figure of cherubim and their sculptural representations
In Judeo-Christian tradition, cherubim are beings of theophanic and protective function, i.e., guardians of Eden, custodians of the Ark, and companions of the divine presence. In medieval iconography, influenced by the Byzantine theologian and mystic Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite, they are identified with the second angelic choir, associated with the perfect knowledge of God. Therefore in sculpture they can be represented as complex winged figures or as heads of children with wings, inserted into capitals, portals, or liturgical reliefs.
From the Renaissance their image becomes humanized and fused with the classical putto, fixing the model of the child-faced flying cherub that is so common in altarpieces and Baroque programs. In this context their function becomes primarily decorative and devotional, acting as a symbol of glory, purity, and nearness of the sacred, as well as a visual transitional element between the earthly scene and the divine realm.

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