Relief, Cherubino alato e racemi XIX sec - 53 cm - Wood

Antique solid wood panel, height 53 cm, entirely hand-carved in high relief. This artifact, of refined execution quality, was originally conceived as an element of fine craftsmanship, probably part of the boiserie in a gentleman’s salon or a refined central panel of a monumental piece of furniture for a sacristy or a noble residence.

The work is enclosed within a solid molded perimeter frame, inside which a multi-faced niche with a curved cornice develops. The centerpiece is a full-length winged putto (cherub), captured in a plastic and sinuous pose with clear Michelangelesque inspiration, with legs elegantly crossed and the right hand laid on the chest in a sign of devotion or innocence. The child’s body is beautifully integrated into a rich and symmetrical decorative apparatus of radiating acanthus scrolls, with elaborate foliate volutes, tendrils, and a stylized palmette motif at the upper part. At the bottom there is a functional original hole, an ancient housing for a key or a nozzle.

The sculpture shows the masterful work of the cabinetmaker in handling the wood: the contrast between the smooth surfaces of the putto’s body and the deeply carved and worked background creates a dramatic and captivating chiaroscuro. The wood presents a splendid warm glossy brown patina, a natural mirror of time.

Excellent overall condition commensurate with the age. It shows normal and slight signs of time that attest to its authenticity and increase the piece’s charm. No major structural defect visibly detectable (please view the photo gallery carefully, as it is an integral part of the description).