Lot 268
**Originally Listed At $400**
Europe, France, Renaissance to Baroque Period, ca. 16th to 17th century CE. An impressive oak "Romayne" panel hand-carved to display the portrait of a bearded man - who interestingly resembles the famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, 1475 to 1564) - in relief, all enveloped in a rich chocolate brown finish. Surrounded by a decorative wreath, the gentleman looks right, presenting a profile with a protruding forehead, deep-set eyes, a crooked nose, prominent cheek bones, a risen temple, and a petite mouth with a thick lower lip engulfed in a lengthy moustache and long beard. A bushy coiffure crowns his head as his chest is covered by a robe draped over a collared tunic. Swirling vegetal ornaments surround the central tondo. Size: 7.9" W x 10.2" H (20.1 cm x 25.9 cm)
Though the exact date and identity of this carving is unknown, the portrait does bear a striking likeness to those of Michelangelo, particularly the engraving by Giulio Bonasone (Italian, 1498 to after 1574) found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This gentleman also matches contemporary descriptions we have of the artist, showing a protuberant forehead, a contorted nose, petite eyes, an elevated temple, high cheekbones, a fleshy lower lip, thin to no eyebrows, a moustache, and a beard.
Romayne refers to the decoration of furniture and architecture with carved medallions, knobs, or finial in the form of human or grotesque heads. Romayne work was especially popular in western Europe during the Renaissance and Early Modern period.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Alison Barker collection, United Kingdom, 1951 to 2021
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#171610
- Condition: Chipping to peripheries with minor losses to top corners. Some old inactive insect holes in areas. Surface wear as shown with expected nicks, abrasions, and a few minor chips, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with lustrous burnish and remarkable remaining detail. Metal suspension hook and old collection label on verso.
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