A NORTH ITALIAN BAROQUE CARVED GILTWOOD PICTURE FRAME, IN THE MANNER OF THE FANTONI WORKSHOP EARLY 18TH CENTURY

John Postle Heseltine (1843-1929), London;

Private Collection, Channel Islands (1973 - after 1993);

by descent to the present owner.

COMPARATIVE LITERATURE

E. Colle, Il Mobile Barocco in Italia, Milan, 2000, pp.386-387, no.96.

This frame used to hold a carved marble relief previously attributed to Agostino Busti or Bambaia (1483-1548) now in the collections of the Getty Museum (inv. no. 2000.19). It is rather difficult to attribute this frame as different regions in Norther Italy produced giltwood frames and mirrors close to this design with boldly carved scrolled acanthus. However, through comparisons with mirrors and drawings by or attributed to Fantoni, this frame can be related to the workshop of the Italian carver Andrea Fantoni (1659-1734). A related drawing from the workshop and similar mirror sold Christie's London, 23 June 1999, lot 99 are illustrated in E. Colle, op.cit., p.386.