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

Antique solid wood panel, height 53 cm, entirely hand-carved in high relief. This work, of refined execution quality, was originally conceived as an element of high craftsmanship, probably part of the boiserie of a gentleman's salon or a refined central leaf 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 curvilinear, arched niche develops. The centerpiece is a full-figure winged putto (cherub) captured in a sculptural and sinuous pose of clear Michelangelesque inspiration, with legs elegantly crossed and the right hand placed on the chest in a gesture of devotion or innocence. The boy's body is beautifully integrated into a rich and symmetric decorative apparatus of battlements, composed of elaborate acanthus foliate volutes, tendrils, and a stylized palmette motif at the upper part. At the bottom there is an original functional hole, an old housing for a key or a spout.

The sculpture demonstrates the mastery of the inlayer/cabinetmaker in handling wood: the alternation between the smooth surfaces of the putto's body and the deeply carved and worked background creates a dramatic and fascinating chiaroscuro. The wood presents a splendid, warm glossy brown patina, natural testimony of time.

Excellent overall condition commensurate with its age. It shows normal and mild signs of time that attest to its authenticity and increase the piece's charm. No serious structural deficiency visible (please carefully review the photograph gallery, which is an integral part of the description).