Italie du Nord, Venise, vers 1400-1420, entourage des frères Jacobello et Pierpaolo dalle Masegne (1350-1409) Saint Jean-Baptiste

Ancienne collection E.S. Goldschmidt, Francfort; ancienne collection R. von Passavant-Gontard, Francfort; sa vente à Berlin, 1929, lot 81; collection privée européenne.

G. Swarzenski (éd), Sammlung R. von Passavant-Gontard, Staedelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main, 1929, p.2, fig. 81 (ill.); J. Pope-Hennessy, Italian Gothic Sculpture, t. I, Londres, 1996, pp. 140-145; A. Fiderer Moskowitz, Italian Gothic Sculpture c.1250–c.1400, New York, 2000.

The marble is in good condition overall with a few minor chips and lacks at several places, in particular to the curls of his hair, to the deep folds of the drapery and the lower edges of his fury dress, as well as to the edges of the base. Some minor surface dirt at several places, and remains of polychromy to the terrace imitating grass and flowers. A few yellow stains to St John's dress at several places. St. John's head appears to have been reattached, and there is a small knock to his nosetip.The tip of his proper right thumb, the tip of his proper left big toe, and two toes of his proper right foot are missing, as well as part of the lamb's foreleg.Two old fixing holes visible to the terrace where the marble seems to have been attached to a base. The sculpture seems originally to have been placed in a niche as the uncarved flattened back of St. John the Baptist seems to indicate. Very rare and interesting sculpture in overall good condition.
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Jacobello dalle Masegne et son frère Pierpaolo réalisent vers 1390/95 un Saint Jean-Baptiste pour la sacristie de l'église San Stefano à Venise qui présente de grandes similitudes avec notre marbre. Ils réalisèrent, également en collaboration, le maître-autel de Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, à Venise, dont la composition du Saint Jean-Baptiste est tout à fait similaire, seule l'orientation de la tête variant. Nous pouvons également rapprocher ce Saint Jean-Baptiste de celui du maître-autel de l'église San Francesco à Bologne, vers 1388/92. Sculpteurs itinérants actifs en Lombardie, Vénétie, Emilie et Romagne, l'influence des frères dalle Masegne est particulièrement sensible à Bologne, Milan, Venise et Mantoue. Ce Saint Jean Baptiste se distingue par des proportions allongées, caractéristiques de la sculpture gothique d'Italie du Nord, avec un soin particulier apporté aux drapés retombant en plis profonds.