Lot Essay
The inscription reads: Carlo quinto di Roma Scuopre & cereva Nel· · libro ,e, s (Charles V uncovers Rome and burns her, from the book...).
This couplet refers to the Sack of Rome in 1527 by the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V during the tenure of Pope Clement VII, Giulio de Medici (1523-1534). On the present dish, the forces of Charles V are represented by the soldier wearing an eagle helmet. The city of Rome is shown in the background and is also represented by the woman suckling an infant whom the warrior is uncovering (sacking) by removing her drape. The Church and, by association, Clement VII, is represented by the fleeing putto at the left holding a replica of St Peter's Basilica.
The identity of the L-Series Painter remains a mystery, although both John Mallet and Timothy Wilson have published facinating accessments of his work and working methods. Please see the note to the following lot for more general information on this artist whose work is associated with that of Francesco Xanto Avelli da Rovigo.
The present dish can be compared with Xanto's execution of the same subject on a tondo previously in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections (Important Italian Maiolica from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Part I, October 6, 1993, lot 22). Both are designed as if for a stage, with the action taking place in the foreground before strong architectural elements, a landscape with a stepped arrangement of flat-topped buildings in the far right quadrant of the plate.
The figures are based on the same graphic sources, Xanto's version being the more accurate adaptation of the two. Two are easily identifiable. These are the figure of Rome herself, taken from position 9 in I Modi by Giulio Romano, engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi [I Modi, p. 79] (Fig. 1) and the figure allegorical of Charles V's troops, taken from The Rape of Helen also by Giulio Romano and engraved by both Marcantonio Raimondi and by Marco Dente [Illustrated Bartsch, vol. 26, nos. 209 (170) 210 (171)] (Fig.2).
Sold with thermoluminescence certificate 381q48 dated September 1985 from the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, stating that the sample tested was last fired between 380 and 580 years ago (1405-1605).
This couplet refers to the Sack of Rome in 1527 by the forces of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V during the tenure of Pope Clement VII, Giulio de Medici (1523-1534). On the present dish, the forces of Charles V are represented by the soldier wearing an eagle helmet. The city of Rome is shown in the background and is also represented by the woman suckling an infant whom the warrior is uncovering (sacking) by removing her drape. The Church and, by association, Clement VII, is represented by the fleeing putto at the left holding a replica of St Peter's Basilica.
The identity of the L-Series Painter remains a mystery, although both John Mallet and Timothy Wilson have published facinating accessments of his work and working methods. Please see the note to the following lot for more general information on this artist whose work is associated with that of Francesco Xanto Avelli da Rovigo.
The present dish can be compared with Xanto's execution of the same subject on a tondo previously in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections (Important Italian Maiolica from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, Part I, October 6, 1993, lot 22). Both are designed as if for a stage, with the action taking place in the foreground before strong architectural elements, a landscape with a stepped arrangement of flat-topped buildings in the far right quadrant of the plate.
The figures are based on the same graphic sources, Xanto's version being the more accurate adaptation of the two. Two are easily identifiable. These are the figure of Rome herself, taken from position 9 in I Modi by Giulio Romano, engraved by Marcantonio Raimondi [I Modi, p. 79] (Fig. 1) and the figure allegorical of Charles V's troops, taken from The Rape of Helen also by Giulio Romano and engraved by both Marcantonio Raimondi and by Marco Dente [Illustrated Bartsch, vol. 26, nos. 209 (170) 210 (171)] (Fig.2).
Sold with thermoluminescence certificate 381q48 dated September 1985 from the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, Oxford University, stating that the sample tested was last fired between 380 and 580 years ago (1405-1605).