Relief of Notthingam. England, 18th century

Relief of Notthingam. England, 18th century
"Dinner at Simon's House."
Carved alabaster plaque.
Measurements: 12.5 x 10 cm; 19 x 16 cm (frame).

This alabaster plate in relief is part of the tradition of the so-called Nottingham alabaster, an English production of long continuity that, although it had its heyday in the late Middle Ages, maintained its validity and diffusion until the eighteenth century, especially in the context of private devotion.

The work represents the Gospel episode of the Supper in Simon's house, a scene of strong symbolic charge associated with repentance, mercy and redemption. The composition organizes the figures in a schematic architectural space, with a marked narrative sense.

The treatment of the relief is restrained and precise, with softly modeled figures, simplified folds and a clear hierarchy of characters, characteristic features of these late productions, intended for domestic or devotional use rather than monumental.