CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

This rare early tondo is conceivably from the hand of the important Renaissance sculptor, architect and theorist, known as Filarete. According to Vasari, Filarete trained in the studio of Lorenzo Ghiberti, but he developed a personal style that was relatively independent of Florentine influence. In 1433 Filarete moved to Rome and was commssioned by Pope Eugenius IV to design and execute the bronze door of the main porch of the old St Peter’s. In the absence of knowledge surrounding his oeuvre, most attributions to Filarete rest on comparisons to the small, frieze-like reliefs that make up the door. Although no work in limestone is known by Filarete, the hunched forms and slightly over-sized heads which are predominently shown in profile, seen in the present tondo, compare closely to his distinctive Roman style. The composition, with Christ at the centre elucidating subtle points of doctrine to learned scholars below, suggests an interest in and understanding of linear perspective. Comparisons can also be made to Filarete's plaquette illustrating the Triumph of Caesar over King Juba, circa 1433 (see Tomasso Brothers, Important European Bronzes, 2016, no. 9).