Circle of Andrea del Verrocchio (circa 1435 – 1488) Italian, Florence, late 15th century

Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 25 February 1948, lot 45

There appears to have been several old breaks, particularly to the background, including one horizontal break through the landscape and Saint's upper thighs. Restored break also above his proper left wing, and two small cracks to the upper portion of his proper right wing. Restoration to: Saint's neck, part of nose, proper left hand, and orb. Some restoration to lower section of ground with dragon. Other small areas of restoration throughout, all of which are very well done. Overall, very good quality and stable condition. Later frame: some cracks and small losses.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Verrocchio’s reputation was widespread in the second half of the 15th century and many well-known artists of the Italian Renaissance studied painting and sculpture at his Florentine studio. Among his most important students were Leonardo da Vinci, Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio and prominent Florentine sculptors such as Benedetto da Maiano and Andrea Sansovino. The model of Verrocchio’s David (fig. 1) was disseminated in drawings, sculptures and paintings by his apprentices in the 1470s.

Pope-Hennessy (1964) gave the conventional name 'Master of the David and Saint John Statuettes' to the unrecorded and probably Florentine sculptor responsible for a group of terracotta figures of saints that stylistically reflected Verrocchio's artistic domination in Florence. Examples of these figures include those in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and the Bode Museum, Berlin. A related terracotta of Saint John the Baptist in the Bargello, Florence was ascribed by Boucher (op. cit., no. 24) to the hand of the young Jacopo Sansovino. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that all of these sculptures were in some way dependent on Verrocchio’s David.

Similarities can be drawn between the sculptures attributed to the ‘Master of the David and Saint John Statuettes’ and the present relief of St. Michael in the size, attitude, and physiognomy of the youthful archangel. However, the present image reveals a greater understanding of Verrocchio’s aesthetic. The facial type, in particular, is significantly closer to the David in the definition of the bone structure, the very narrow bridge of the nose and the arrangement of the parted hair. Furthermore, the extent of the details such as the armor, the delicately rendered wings, and the hair reveal a sculptor who identified with Verrocchio’s formative years as a goldsmith, skills that the master applied in his work in bronze. Verrocchio’s bronze relief of the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, now in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (Butterfield, op. cit., fig. 157), illustrates his talent in working with metal. Several of the figures in the bronze relief are clad in elaborate armor, details of which are integrated into the present sculpure.

Prominent in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings, St. Michael was universally known as a champion against evil. In the medieval period he was the patron saint of chivalry as well as a healer. Here, he wields his sword (blade lacking) after beheading the devil, in the guise of a serpent, writhing beneath his feet. The orb which he holds in his proper left hand represents his guardianship over all souls, although the Saint was more often depicted holding scales for the weighing of souls on Judgment Day.

RELATED LITERATURE:
F. Schottmüller, Catalogue of Italian and Spanish Sculpture, Berlin 1913, no.233
J. Pope-Henessey, Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1964, no.171, pl. 183
A. Butterfield, The Sculptures of Andrea del Verrocchio, New Haven, 1997
B. Boucher (ed.), Earth and Fire, exhibition catalogue, London 2001, no.24

Sold with a copy of a thermoluminescence analysis report dated 8 April 2015 from Oxford Authentication stating that the sample taken, N115c9, was last fired between 400 and 700 years ago