Giovanni Pratesi: The Florentine Eye
Giovanni Pratesi: The Florentine Eye
Basin with the Arms of Pope Julius III (1487-1555)
Auction Closed
March 22, 07:15 PM GMT
Estimate
15,000 - 25,000 EUR
Lot Details
Description
Italian, Rome, dated 1550
Basin with the Arms of Pope Julius III (1487-1555)
marble
inscribed: IULIO III. PONT. MAX ANNO IVBILEI M.D.L.
48 by 74cm., 18⅞ by 29⅛in.
This beautifully carved basin from a baptismal font commemorates the election of Pope Julius III, formerly Giovanni Mairia Ciocchi del Monte, in the jubilee year of 1550. It is adorned with the papal keys and the Ciocchi del Monte family coat of arms, depicting wreaths evoking ‘locks of hair’ (‘ciocchi’) and mountains (‘monte’). Its commemorative character indicates that the work may have been commissioned by the pope’s hometown of Monte San Savino in Arezzo, Tuscany to honour its most illustrious citizen. It was probably made for either the Baptistery of San Giovanni or the church of Sant’Agostino, both of which were elaborated by Andrea Sansovino in the early 16th century. Alternatively, the font may have been a gift from the Pope himself to his hometown. Like similar Tuscan fonts from this period, the present basin would originally have been installed on a column or baluster.
The present lot is the subject of an expertise by Professor Marcello Fagiolo.
This lot has an artistic export license for the European Union only. We highly recommend you contact the specialist department for further information regarding export procedures and shipping costs from the European Union.
This lot is on view in Florence. Please refer to the specialist department to book an appointment.