Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0324

Italian Virgin of Tenderness Icon

CIRCA 19TH CENTURY A.D.

11 5/8 in. (279 grams, 29.5 cm high).

A painting on wood of the Virgin of Tenderness, copying an earlier work, depicting Mary dressed in blue robe ornamented with gold stars with an off-white veil delicately framing her face; gently supporting the Child dressed in red tunic; both figures nimbate and affectionately leaning towards each other with their cheeks touching; the scene enclosed in a gilt pseudo-Gothic crenelated frame, an inscription in new Gothic uncial style to the bottom reading 'AVE GRATIA PLENA' for 'hail full of grace'; mounted on a 19th century crenelated wooden pedestal fitted with candle holder to each side in the shape of a flower.

Provenance

Property of a London lady, part of her family's collection.

Literature

Cf. the Virgin with the Child of Sano di Pietro, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1975.1.51, for similar painting; cf. also Mazzoni, G., Falsi d'autore. Icilio Federico Joni e la cultura del falso tra Otto e Novecento, Siena, 2004, p.162, no.43.

Footnotes

The panel has many stylistic similarities with that of Icilio Federico Joni (1866-1946) assigned to the style of Sano di Pietro. Compared to that, the head of the Virgin has been realised in a more archaic Gothic style. With their faces gently pressed together, the interaction between the Virgin and the Child evokes a tender intimacy. This motif appears in numerous works by Sano di Pietro and his workshop (for example, in another painting in the Lehman Collection in MET, 975.1.39). The particular manner of concealing the Child’s right cheek behind the Virgin’s face was probably inspired by Madonna painted by the Sienese master Ambrogio Lorenzetti (Pinacoteca Nazionale, Siena).

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process


AUCTIONS:

TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.

LOT 0324

Italian Virgin of Tenderness Icon

Estimate £700 - 900€810 - 1,040 (for guidance only)$950 - 1,220 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Post Medieval Ring with Flower on Shield
    Post Medieval Ring with Flower on Shield
    18th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £46

    A copper-alloy ring composed of a slightly convex hoop, expanding shoulders and shield-shaped bezel, the shoulders and bezel engraved with flowering plants. 3.50 grams, 24.25 mm overall, 22.11 mm internal diameter (approximate size British W 1/2, USA 11 1/4, Europe 25.66, Japan 24)



    Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman.

    Lot Details

  • Post Medieval Silver Apostle Peter Statuette
    Post Medieval Silver Apostle Peter Statuette
    18th century A.D. or earlier

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £104

    A silver figure modelled in the round as Apostle Peter standing on a polygonal base, wearing a floor-length robe and clasping the key to the gate of Heaven to his breast, semi-naturalistic facial detailing, beard and hair. 50.13 grams, 65 mm

    Fine condition.

    Austrian private collection since circa 1995. Ex central London gallery.

    Lot Details

  • Victorian Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone
    Victorian Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone
    19th century A.D.

    Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £200

    A gold finger ring with pie-dish bezel and pellets to the rim, inset sardonyx with intaglio female bust. 5.75 grams, 26.60 mm overall, 17.78 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)



    English private collection.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list