Pair Of Majolica Plates From Castelli

Pair of majolica plates from Castelli—Anastasio Grue or Nicola Cappelletti—circa 1730–1740

Pair of majolica plates from Castelli d'Abruzzo, depicting two landscapes populated by figures amid architectural ruins.

The first composition opens onto a vast landscape traversed by a body of water. Numerous small figures move among the remains of an ancient columned structure, while a large building looms on the opposite shore.

A striking, radiant sun appears on the horizon.

The second tile depicts several figures in front of the monumental ruins of a building overgrown with vegetation. The viewer’s gaze travels through the ruined architecture to a new, radiant sun in the background, positioned almost along the axis of the composition.

Beyond their decorative nature, these landscapes can also be interpreted as a meditation on the passage of time. The human figures, small in comparison to the monumental remains of an ancient world, stand alongside structures already overtaken by vegetation, while the sun remains on the horizon. This juxtaposition of humans, ruins, and the permanence of nature evokes the fragility of human constructions.

Dimensions: 26 x 19 cm and 27.5 x 18.5 cm