Circle of Gabriele and Giovanni di Pietro da Rho (active circa 1500) Italian, Lombardy, circa 1500

private collection, Italy

There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There are various losses to the surface, notably to the right and left edges and to the upper right corner. There are also some losses along the bottom edge and one to the top edge at the centre. The Virgin's head is lost, as is the middle Angel's head. Mary's hands are lost and much of the baby's body and head is lost. There are various smaller losses, including to St John's proper right arm, to the left Angel's proper right arm, to the kneeling man's proper right foot, and to St Joseph's staff. There are some restored breaks along the bottom edge at the centre. There is some wear, including small chips, to some of the high points. The back is roughed out, and there are some losses to the back and sides. Otherwise the condition is stable.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This beautiful relief is carved in the characteristic Lombard style of the great 15th-century sculptor Giovanni Antonio Amadeo (circa 1447-1522) by an artist closely related to Gabriele and Giovanni di Pietro da Rho. The brothers da Rho ran an efficient workshop with a prolific output, completing important commissions in Piacenza and Cremona and working at times in conjunction with Amadeo. Their works exhibit the same classicising low relief style for which Amadeo is celebrated. The present marble relates to a series of reliefs attributed by Vito Zani to the da Rho workshop in the Musei Civici del Palazzo Visconteo di Pavia. One of these reliefs utilises a very similar composition to that seen in the present relief, including the same trio of angels, but in reverse (Peroni, op. cit., nos. 570-580).

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Peroni, Pavia. Musei civici del castello visconteo, Bologna, 1975, pp. 124-128, nos. 570-580