- Pair of Prie-Dieu Emilia, First Quarter of the 18th Century
Pair of prie-dieu in carved and gilded limewood, with green lacquered backgrounds.
The carved scroll feet rest on low plinth bases and support the shaped kneeling platforms, which are finished with moulded frames and carved aprons decorated with scrollwork.
The shaped backrests are framed by two S-shaped volutes embellished with scrolls and acanthus leaves. At the centre of each back panel is a putto’s face crowned by a fan-shaped ornament, surrounded by an elaborate decorative composition of scrolls, acanthus leaves and simulated drapery.
The upper elbow rests are shaped and adorned with carved aprons echoing those of the lower platforms. All the resting surfaces are enriched with red velvet cushions embroidered with silver thread.
Dimensions: 92 × 77 × 50 cm
Code: ANMOAL0313788
During the Baroque period, Emilia was subject to various stylistic influences. While Bologna, being part of the Papal States, inevitably interpreted stylistic trends through a distinctly Roman perspective, Parma presents a particularly interesting case in the town of Soragna.
On the occasion of the Meli-Lupi marriage, the Rocca di Soragna was furnished with numerous pieces brought from Venice, reflecting a sculptural yet less monumental interpretation of the Baroque style.
In my opinion, the pair of prie-dieu described here should be placed within this latter artistic tradition.
Several woodcarvers were involved in the creation of the furnishings for the Rocca di Soragna. Without necessarily invoking the most prominent among them, Lorenzo Aili, certain comparisons with the work of local craftsmen may support this stylistic attribution.
Consider, for example, the development of the scrollwork in the ceiling of the small drawing room executed by Giuseppe Bosi, or the stools made by Francesco Peracchi. Particularly interesting is the comparison between the feet of Peracchi’s stools and those of the present prie-dieu.
As regards dating, it is difficult to place these pieces significantly outside the period of the works examined above, namely the early years of the 18th century.
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