Workshop Of Giovanni Bonazza - Marble Medallion, Veneto, First Half Of The 18th Century

This beautiful marble medallion sculpted in high relief, presents the noble profile of a man with a short beard and medium-length hair. His thick curls have been accentuated by the use of a trephine and a chisel with a beveled tip, allowing the artist to produce effects of roughness and shadows contrasting with the smooth and luminous treatment of the flesh. This singular treatment of the marble, as well as the blossoming features of our protagonist - with full lips and stretched eyes surmounted by a very marked upper eyelid - is quite characteristic of Baroque sculpture in Venice in the first half of the 18th century, drawing its source from the language of great masters of the time, such as Orazio Marinali or, even more here, Giovanni Bonazza. In fact, due to its style and typology, our medallion can be compared to an exceptional set of eight marble medallions decorated with bas-relief portraits of illustrious men and women, such as Cassandra Fedele, Francesco Pallavicino and Pietro Bembo, now preserved in the collections of the Museo Civico in Padua, all made by Giovanni Bonazza and his workshop.