Italian Pietra Dura View of Florence in Parcel-Gilt and Burl Veneer Frame

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A finely executed pietra dura panel depicting a panoramic view of Florence, centered on Brunelleschi’s celebrated red-tiled Duomo, its form … Read more A finely executed pietra dura panel depicting a panoramic view of Florence, centered on Brunelleschi’s celebrated red-tiled Duomo, its form rendered in cut stone tesserae set against pale sky and distant hills. Buildings in ochre, white, and terracotta stone step toward the foreground, where variegated green marbles are worked into rocky outcrops and cypress forms, displaying the traditional Florentine mastery of hardstone inlay. Signed at lower right by an unidentified hand, the work exemplifies the 20th-century continuation of the Grand Tour tradition, in which micromosaic and pietre dure panels served as portable souvenirs of Italy’s architectural treasures.

The panel is housed within a rich, deep-toned burl veneer frame with an inner gilt surround worked in a rhythmic scrolled pattern, further enclosed by an outer border of pronounced acanthus-leaf carving in parcel-gilt, presenting the work with warmth and architectural presence. A compact yet visually powerful object, it evokes the lineage of earlier Florentine workshops operating since the Medici era, where hardstone landscapes were prized for refinement, permanence, and seductive color.

Measures: 12.125 inches wide x 11.875 inches high See less