PAIR OF PANELS WITH SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL
Sculpted, carved, partially gilded and painted wood.
This pair of wooden panels show vigorous busts, with characterized physiognomic traits. The two heads, which belong to Saint Peter and Saint Paul as stated by the underlying inscriptions, jut out in high-relief from clipei decorated with scrolls, surrounded by an imaginative “grotesque” decorative repertoire.
Presumably, the two panels were originally part of an architectural context, likely the pillars of an aedicula. The estofado-de-oro decoration, which can be seen within the clipei, certainly refers to a Spanish environment, where there are many references to the style of central Italy, as can be seen in the dynamic face of Saint Paul.
Spain, second half of the 16th century
45,5×27,5 cm
