Italian school; 17th century.

Italian school; XVII century.
"St. Paul and St. Peter".
Gilded bronze.
Measurements: 18,5 x 14 x 1 cm (x2).
Set of reliefs made in gilded bronze of devotional character. "St. Paul and St. Peter" are the protagonists of these works that are clearly inscribed in the devotional and humanist tradition of the early Baroque, where the recovery of classical models coexists with an intense spiritual charge. The careful elaboration of the faces and beards, worked with meticulousness and undulating rhythm, which refer to the inheritance of Italian Renaissance medallistics. The use of the profile, with clear classical roots, evokes the Roman imperial coins, giving the figures a timeless dignity. However, the surface treatment, more vibrant and contrasted, as well as the expressive intensity of the features, place the work in a fully Baroque sensibility.n The style of these 17th century Italian school medals is defined by a particularly refined synthesis between classical heritage and Baroque sensibility. First of all, the choice of the profile responds to a tradition directly linked to Roman antiquity, where emperors and illustrious figures were represented on coins and cameos. However, in contrast to the idealized balance of the Renaissance, the 17th century introduced a greater expressive intensity.
The tradition of medals in the Italian school of the 17th century is part of a long continuity that began in the Renaissance, especially with figures such as Pisanello, considered the initiator of the modern artistic medal.