Impossible Gallery, three complementary personalities linked by the love of objects, offers each weekend a real journey through eras and styles. This week, Diane Chatelet, Jeff Régis and Gerald take you to Venice to discover an exceptional pair of torchiere holder...
“We are currently presenting this fabulous pair of Venetian painted wood sculptures representing torchiere holder or vase holder. They date from the end of the 17th century and were attributed to Filippo Parodi (1630-1702). Their provenance is exceptional since they adorned the Venetian palace of the famous director Luchino Visconti, renowned for being a man of taste.
Filippo Parodi is a sculptor born in Genoa and having also worked in Rome and Venice. He was one of Bernini's pupils. During the Baroque period, he produced many very exuberant and excessive statues, loaded with realism.
This pair of sculptures is totally representative of his work and fits perfectly into this baroque period, an artistic movement that originated in Italy at the beginning of the 16th century and which ended in the middle of the 18th century in Rome, Venice and Florence. These sculptures show us the extravagance of this period influenced by Bernini.
It was not uncommon to find sculptures of this type in Venetian palaces. They were used to show all the know-how of the Decorative Arts of the time and to adorn the palaces which were very loaded with sculptures, mirrors and lighting. This is called the very large decoration.
We were drawn to the breathtaking realism of the facial expressions and the exemplary quality of workmanship. The superb provenance adds to the pedigree of the piece.
They are in extraordinary condition and have never been restored, the paint and patina are original. When you see the finesse of the details, the mustache, the hair, the expression of the eyes, the veins that come out of the hands, the muscles, it is the paroxysm of realism in sculpture. It is a masterpiece of the Baroque period. "
