19th Century, Couple Of Niches With Bas-reliefs Of Archangels

19th century
Couple of niches with bas-reliefs of Archangels
Frame with rudentata column profile, gilded wood
Base shelf with reserve carved in racemo olive
Walnut wood, cm. 69 x 39 x 14

The furniture in question looks like a pair of niches in walnut wood from the mid-nineteenth century, with carved bas-relief two golden figures of praying archangels emerging three-dimensionally from a blue background, inserted inside a frame with two rudentate golden columns. The base, on a shelf with reserve, is carved in a raceme of olive trees and has two golden friezes richly inlaid.

Originally the pair of niches certainly had a decorative function, probably accompanying a triptych with a Madonna and Child, alluding to the Annunciation.

The use of deep blue in the background helps to bring out the figures of the golden archangels, sculpted meticulously in every single detail: remarkable refinement and value are in fact the draperies, perfectly rendered in their texture and large wings.

From a stylistic-formal point of view, the furniture fits into the neo-Renaissance style, developed between 1820 and 1890, and characterized by a revival of typically Renaissance forms: In particular, there is a specialization in the finishes and ornamentations carved, widely valued in the pair of niches. Considered one of the most eclectic periods of the 19th century, the Neo-Renaissance saw frequent use of walnut wood, particularly appreciated for its robustness and strength.

The object is in good condition