Relief depicting a lion. Venice, Italy, late 15th century

Relief depicting a lion. Venice, Italy, late 15th century.
Terracotta.
Measurements: 25 x 24 x 9.5 cm.

A late 15th-century Venetian relief made of terracotta, featuring the figure of a rampant lion set within an elaborate mixtilinear frame. The composition reflects the Quattrocento Venetian taste for heraldic and architectural decoration, a field in which terracotta played a significant role due to its versatility and the possibilities it offered for reproducing ornamental motifs.

The choice of the lion also holds special significance in the Venetian context. Traditionally associated with Saint Mark, patron saint and emblem of the Republic of Venice, the animal became one of the most recognizable motifs in the iconography of the Most Serene Republic, appearing extensively on facades, coats of arms, reliefs, and architectural elements. In this case, however, the visible absence of the book and the wings suggests describing it simply as a lion of possibly heraldic character, without conclusively identifying it as the Lion of St. Mark.

Of particular interest is also its molded frame with a lobed and broken outline, which lends depth to the relief and highlights the persistence of late-Gothic decorative elements during a period of transition toward the Renaissance style.