Colnaghi to Highlight Masterpieces of Sculpture and Painting From Ancient to Modern Periods for TEFAF Online 2021

COLNAGHI will present three masterpieces spanning art history from Classical Antiquity to the Modern era for TEFAF Online 2021. Reflecting the gallery's commitment to cross-category presentations and collecting, the selection encompasses a rare marble head from Magna Graecia, a significant Renaissance sculpture in terracotta, and an important example of post-Impressionism painting. Each work is exemplary in their quality, provenance, and art historical significance.

One of the most important marble and cast metal sculptors of the high Renaissance, Benedetto da Rovezzano (1474 - c. 1552) was also a master of terracotta sculpture. He created this Saint John the Baptist, in Florence around 1510, during the time when his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael were also active in the Tuscan city. Clad in a camel-skin tunic, the youthful figure of Saint John is portrayed glancing to the side with an exalted expression. The wooden base of the work is reminiscent of a bleak rocky setting, recalling the biblical account of his sojourn in the desert. With its lifelike modelled hair and detailed, serene physiognomy, this piece is one of the best examples of early Renaissance sculptures currently on the market, embodying the period's ideals of youth and beauty. The presentation of this work previews an exhibition of Renaissance masterpieces that will open at Colnaghi New York in early November.

Colnaghi's Ancient Art department is proud to present for TEFAF 2021 the Marble Head of a Woman from Magna Graecia. This sculpture hails from the Greek city of Taras (modern-day Taranto) in the region of Southern Italy known as 'Greater Greece' where some of the greatest works of Greek art have been discovered. In the fourth century B.C., the period from which this sculpture dates, more Greeks lived on the Italian coast than the Greek mainland, and the populous cities in Sicily and Reggio Calabria were significant sites for the Hellenic economy, politics, and culture. Still in near-perfect condition, this marble bust preserves the work of a master craftsman rendering human likeness in stone. Her expression and archetypal proportions emulate the Classical style pioneered by Athenian sculptors of the previous century, making this an exemplary piece from a major Southern Italian workshop at the height of the Classical period.

Completing Colnaghi's cross-period presentation is Henri Rousseau's richly-detailed and brightly-coloured Nu au bain dans la forêt vierge, c. 1907 - 10, noteworthy for its idyllic atmosphere and juxtaposition of the exotic with the art historical conventionality of the female nude. A self-taught artist who never left Paris, Rousseau was intrigued by and gave life to fantastical scenes in his 'jungle' paintings, which were inspired by tales of battles in Mexico, visits to the Jardin des Plantes and Natural History Museum in Paris, and tropical picture books like 'Bêtes sauvages (Wild Beasts).' One of the artist's best-known works, this painting depicts a bather surrounded by lush vegetation and wild animals, cast against a contrasting bright orange, green, and yellow background and dark green foreground. A masterwork of post-Impressionism, this painting is replete with contradictions that draw the viewer into a realm suspended between dream and reality.

Says Chloe Stead, Senior Global Director, Colnaghi: "It is our privilege to launch Colnaghi's Autumn programme with this presentation of masterworks for TEFAF 2020. We are delighted to be able to present works that span the ages and thoroughly reflect Colnaghi's commitment to showcasing high quality, cross-category works of art. From the archetypal classicism and serene beauty of the Marble Head of a Woman, created in the fourth century B.C., to Rovezzano's small and perfectly formed, lively terracotta of Saint John, and Rousseau's lush jungle scene - our presentation invites you to journey from the Hellenic colonies of Magna Graecia to the sculptor's workshop in Renaissance Florence, and the exotic imaginings of fin de siècle Paris."

TEFAF Online: 9 - 13 September, 2021 (Preview: 8 September, 2021)

For more information visit: https://www.colnaghi.com/