Lot 1222 Dα

Leonardo Riccomanni

The Angel of the Annunciation by Leonardo Riccomanni

Carrara marble, carved in the round. Older parcel gilding. The Archangel Gabriel is depicted standing on an octagonal plinth with his right foot drawn back, turning to the right, and with his right hand raised in a blessing gesture. The piece has been designed for a frontal viewpoint, and the reverse - especially the back of the head - is only schematically worked whereas the front of the piece displays a masterful treatment of the marble. The sculpture was formerly assigned to Jacopo della Quercia or simply described as a Tuscan work. However, Laura Cavazzini and Aldo Galli were able to attribute it to Leonardo Riccomani – an artist active in Pietrasanta, Lucca, Siena, Naples, and Genoa – with considerable certainty in 1999, dating it to around 1450.
Fingers of the right hand partially lost. Minor breakage to one panel of drapery to the centre left. Otherwise with only minimal wear. Height 76 cm.