Painting On Copper – Saint Bishop With Cherub – 19th Century

Painting on copper – Saint Bishop with cherub - 1800

Oil on copper plate, richly carved antique frame

Description

The work depicts a saintly bishop in a solemn pose, holding a pastoral staff in his left hand and a book in his right.

A cherub appears on the right, holding a writing tablet inscribed with several letters (ABCDEF).
An unusual and interesting detail: this tablet refers to the iconography of educators and doctors of the Church.
The putto's didactic gesture and the presence of the book suggest a symbolic attribution to a saintly bishop and doctor of medicine, but the work lacks a decisive attribute.

Technique:
Oil on copper plate (typical thickness and reverse oxidation, with old handwritten numbering).

Very good overall condition: minimal wear, a few superficial micro-crazings, no structural losses.
Pigments and varnish consistent with 18th-century execution.

Frame:

Superb 19th-century carved and gilded wooden frame with highly elaborate Rococo decoration: scrolls, flowers, shells, and deep reliefs. The gilding is slightly worn, but consistent and decorative.
The painting is perfectly mounted in this frame, ready to display.

Dimensions: • Copper plate (visible area): 15.5 × 11.5 cm - • Framed dimensions: 30 x 27.5 cm

Provenance: Former private collection (old number on the reverse: no. 4068)

Condition:

Very good overall condition for its age. No visible restorations. Solid frame.

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