Gold pendant & brooch with micromosaic "Allegory of Love"
A late 18th early 19th century roman micromosaic set on copper representing an allegory of love within a border of millefiori glass tesserae, mounted in a mid 19th century tested 18kt gold pendant/brooch in the Castellani style. The micromosaic shows the chariot of Venus drove by doves, one of them is perched on an altar (sacrifice for love). On the chariot there are a laurel wreath (victory over love ), the quiver of Cupid (god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection) next to it a torch with a burning flame emblem of burning love. On the ground a basket of flowers symbolize hope. The micromosaic size is cm 5 ca., with the gold mounting cm 6,5x6,5 ca. Excellent condition commensurate with age.
This micromosaic is attributable to Giacomo Raffaelli and his workshop.
Giacomo Raffaelli was born in 1753 and died in 1836. Celebrated as a one of the best artists working in hardstones and mosaics in his day, he is credited as being the inventor of micro-mosaics. Raffaelli was awarded the title Councilor of Liberal Arts by Stanislaus II Augustus, King of Poland in 1787. Later in 1804 he was elected director of the Milan mosaics workshop, founded the year before on Napoleon's orders by Eugene Beauharnais, at the request of the Alpine Republic (later renamed the Italian Monarchy from 1805). He returned to Rome from Milan somewhere between 1817 and 1820 when he was named Counselor the Emperor of Russia. He died in 1836 at his house at 92 Via del Babuino and was buried in the church of St. Stanislas of the Poles in Rome.
A late 18th early 19th century roman micromosaic set on copper representing an allegory of love within a border of millefiori glass tesserae, mounted in a mid 19th century tested 18kt gold pendant/brooch in the Castellani style. The micromosaic shows the chariot of Venus drove by doves, one of them is perched on an altar (sacrifice for love). On the chariot there are a laurel wreath (victory over love ), the quiver of Cupid (god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection) next to it a torch with a burning flame emblem of burning love. On the ground a basket of flowers symbolize hope. The micromosaic size is cm 5 ca., with the gold mounting cm 6,5x6,5 ca. Excellent condition commensurate with age.
This micromosaic is attributable to Giacomo Raffaelli and his workshop.
Giacomo Raffaelli was born in 1753 and died in 1836. Celebrated as a one of the best artists working in hardstones and mosaics in his day, he is credited as being the inventor of micro-mosaics. Raffaelli was awarded the title Councilor of Liberal Arts by Stanislaus II Augustus, King of Poland in 1787. Later in 1804 he was elected director of the Milan mosaics workshop, founded the year before on Napoleon's orders by Eugene Beauharnais, at the request of the Alpine Republic (later renamed the Italian Monarchy from 1805). He returned to Rome from Milan somewhere between 1817 and 1820 when he was named Counselor the Emperor of Russia. He died in 1836 at his house at 92 Via del Babuino and was buried in the church of St. Stanislas of the Poles in Rome.
A late 18th early 19th century roman micromosaic set on copper representing an allegory of love within a border of millefiori glass tesserae, mounted in a mid 19th century tested 18kt gold pendant/brooch in the Castellani style. The micromosaic shows the chariot of Venus drove by doves, one of them is perched on an altar (sacrifice for love). On the chariot there are a laurel wreath (victory over love ), the quiver of Cupid (god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection) next to it a torch with a burning flame emblem of burning love. On the ground a basket of flowers symbolize hope. The micromosaic size is cm 5 ca., with the gold mounting cm 6,5x6,5 ca. Excellent condition commensurate with age.
This micromosaic is attributable to Giacomo Raffaelli and his workshop.
Giacomo Raffaelli was born in 1753 and died in 1836. Celebrated as a one of the best artists working in hardstones and mosaics in his day, he is credited as being the inventor of micro-mosaics. Raffaelli was awarded the title Councilor of Liberal Arts by Stanislaus II Augustus, King of Poland in 1787. Later in 1804 he was elected director of the Milan mosaics workshop, founded the year before on Napoleon's orders by Eugene Beauharnais, at the request of the Alpine Republic (later renamed the Italian Monarchy from 1805). He returned to Rome from Milan somewhere between 1817 and 1820 when he was named Counselor the Emperor of Russia. He died in 1836 at his house at 92 Via del Babuino and was buried in the church of St. Stanislas of the Poles in Rome.
