Rare Large 19th C. Italian Pietre Dure Plaque of a Monk in a Wine Cellar

Description

Large Italian Pietre Dure Plaque of a Monk in a Wine Cellar The rectangular pietre dure plaque is composed as an interior scene set within a wine cellar and housed in a carved giltwood frame with repeating foliate and scroll ornament surrounding a black border. The central figure depicts a monk seated beside wooden barrels, turning toward the viewer while holding a long stirring or tasting implement. His robe is assembled from fitted sections of brown and amber hardstones, while the face and hands are rendered in varied tones of pink, cream, and red stone with defined modeling. The vaulted cellar interior is constructed from broad panels of marbled stone in ochre, gray, and earth tones, creating walls and architectural arches with visible natural veining. The composition employs precisely cut stone tesserae and fitted hardstone veneers to define surface, shadow, and material variation throughout the scene. The composition employs precisely cut stone tesserae and fitted hardstone veneers to define surface, shadow, and material variation throughout the scene. This plaque is executed in the pietre dure tradition, a technique involving the cutting and assembling of colored hardstones to create pictorial compositions. The work presents a cellar subject associated with European genre imagery depicting monastic wine making and tasting scenes. Pietre dure workshops in Italy developed methods of assembling marble, jasper, agate, and related stones into pictorial panels through precision cutting and polishing. Works of this type required the selection of stones according to natural color and veining, allowing architectural elements, textiles, and facial features to be formed through the inherent character of the material. Large figural plaques depicting interior scenes represent a specialized category within pietre dure production due to the complexity of fitting numerous shaped stone sections into a unified composition. Italy, Circa: 1880 Plaque: 16.5''H x 12.5''W Overall including the frame: 20" x 17"

Details

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