This doorway originated from the Palazzo Pallavicino in Piazza di Fossatello, Genoa, and remained there until shortly before its purchase by the Museum in 1879. Its date and authorship are established by a contract of 28 June 1503, between Cipriano Pallavicino and the brothers Michele and Antonio Carlone. The Virgin and the Child with the two putti holding a crown replace a coat-of-arms for which provision was made in the contract. This modification seems to have occurred during the execution of the doorway.
Physical description
Doorway, marble. Above the architrave is a shell-shaped lunette, in front of which stands the Virgin with the Child on her right arm. Two winged putti, kneeling on the rim of the lunette, hold a crown over her head. At the sides are two statuettes of putti with shields (charge effaced). The frieze is carved with grotesques amongst which stand three eagles, and the jambs are formed by fluted half-columns, carved at the base with a band of eagles and garlands, and above with three putti and baskets of flowers and fruit. The bases are carved with partially illegible reliefs which appear to represent (right) Hercules and the Serpents, and (left) Hercules and Cacus.
On the left column the lower part of the left arm of the central putto and the knuckles and fingers of the right hand of the putto on the right are missing. On the right column the right arm of the central putto and the right legs of other putti have also been broken off. The faces of all the putti on the columns are abraded. Local abrasion elsewhere.
Place of Origin
Italy (made)
Genoa (city), Italy (made)
Date
1503 (made)
16th century (made)
16th century (made)
Artist/maker
Carlone, Antonio (sculptor)
Carlone, Michele (sculptor)
Materials and Techniques
Carved marble
Dimensions
Height: 553.7 cm, Width: 320 cm
Descriptive line
Putti and shield from doorway, marble, by Michele and Antonio Carlone, Italy (Genoa), 1503
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington Museum acquired in the Year 1879. London, 1880, pp. 8
Walterkruft, Hanno. 'Un certile rinacimentale italiano nella Sierra Nevada: La Calahorra' in Antichita Viva VIII, 1969, no2. pp. 35-51
MacLagan, E, and Longhurst, Margaret, H. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture London: V&A, 1932. pp. 121
Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1964. pp.392
Alizeri. 'Notizie dei professor del disegno in Liguria dale origini al secolo XVI' in Scultura. V, Genoa, 1877. pp. 376
Alieri. Guida illustrative del cittandno e del forasitero per la citta di Genova e sue adiacenze. Genoa, 1875. pp. 360-2 and pp. 519-20
Berlendis. Raccolta delle miglior fabbriche ed ornamenti della citta di Genova. Milan: 1828, tav. Xiib
Cervetto. I Gaggini da Bissone, Milan 1903. pp. 21
Lightbown. 'Three Genoese Doorways' in The Burlington Magazine ciii, 1961. pp. 412-15
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Men; Jesus Christ; Mary (Virgin Mary); Fruit; Putti; Grotesques; Columns; Hercules; Baskets; Classicism; Shields; Garlands; Eagles; The Christ Child; Crowns; Serpents; Cacus
Categories
Sculpture; Architecture; Religion; Christianity
Collection code
SCP
