Chest front
The panel features a pair of fabulous female figures with extremities in the shape of scrolling tendrils, the longest of which end in cornucopias. The tilted heads draw attention to a wreath enclosing a shield that may have once contained a coat of arms. From the figures’ windswept curls to the ribbons on the wreath, swirling forms heighten the composition’s liveliness. Corresponding to a Renaissance reinterpretation of ancient imagery, the decoration may have been inspired by northern or Italian prints, which frequently served as models for the carvings adorning French chests.
Artwork Details
- Title: Chest front
- Date: ca. 1550–70
- Culture: French
- Medium: Carved walnut
- Dimensions: confirmed: 26 1/8 × 48 7/8 in. (66.4 × 124.1 cm)
- Classification: Woodwork
- Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
- Object Number: 32.100.335a
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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