A Pair of Early/Mid 20thC Italian Carved White Carrera Marble Atlantes Jambs c.1920-40

Object Description

The striking and crisply modelled pair of carved white Carrera marble architectural jambs, conceived in the classical tradition of the atlantes in eighteenth century fashion, each figure presented standing, the bodies drawn inward with arms folded across the chest, the heads gently bowed in a gesture that suggests quiet burden rather than overt strength, each carved with a notable restraint with the musculature being softly defined, the drapery simply but effectively rendered, and the faces imbued with a contemplative, almost melancholic expression and surviving from the first half of twentieth century Italy.

Object History

Unknown.

Object Literature

Expertly carved in Italy during the first half of the twentieth century, these figures would originally have formed part of an architectural scheme, almost certainly as fireplace jambs or interior supports. The form itself draws upon a long classical lineage, the atlante, being the male counterpart to the caryatid, a motif revived during the Renaissance and revisited throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Unlike the more theatrical or heavily muscled examples seen in Baroque interpretations, this pair adopts a more restrained and introspective approach, aligning more closely with Renaissance ideals of balance and humanism.

An uncommon survival of this architectural form in a matched pair, and particularly so in this more inward reflective interpretation, these wonderful jambs are equally suited to being re-integrated architecturally or displayed as sculptural objects in their own right, where their quiet presence and strong silhouette can be fully appreciated.

Object Condition

Condition is good overall, with light expected surface wear consistent with age and use. There is gentle weathering to the marble, with minor nicks and small losses to extremities as one would expect of architectural elements of this nature. The surface has developed a soft, slightly chalked patina in places, enhancing their sense of age and authenticity. There are no major structural faults noted and the subtle variations between the two figures confirm they are individually carved rather than mechanically reproduced, lending the pair a quiet individuality and presence.

Object Details