“My favorite object was the great kidney-shaped Philadelphia satinwood card table,” says J. Michael Flanigan, who was curator of the Kaufman collection from 1984-87. Courtesy National Gallery of Art.
NEW YORK CITY – From January 22 through February 8 three international galleries – Blumka Gallery of United States, Julius Bohler of Germany and Brimo de Laroussilhe of France – will present an exhibition of recent acquisitions at the Blumka Gallery, 209 East 72nd Street.
Included in this extensive exhibition are a variety of Medieval enamels, Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque ivories, wood and stone sculpture, metal work, terra-cottas, majolica, bronzes and paintings.
Highlights will include a vermiculated chasse, a dogmatic Program Virgin Church and Lamb of God in Jerusalem Limoges (circa 1185-1195), made of copper gilt, engraved and chiseled with champleve enamel (14.5 by 1.15.4 by 6.9 centimeters); “The Virgin And Child with Saint Nicholas and Saint Stephen,” a painting by the artist Gherardo Starnina (Florence, circa 1354-before 1413), a tempera on panel (96 by 1.50 by 5 centimeters), painted in 1407 for the wedding of Antonio di Filippo Lorini with Agnola di Jacopo di Francesco Venturi-M.H.
Also expected to generate interest is an ivory plaque with the Virgin Hodegetria from the Byzantine period from the end of the Tenth Century and later elements from the Fourteenth Century, with ivory, stamped and gilt copper (14 by 14.8 centimeters). A Spanish silver and gilt bronze processional cross from the first half of the Fifteenth Century, silver and partly gilt bronze (26 centimeters). The gilt bronze knob is cast with pierced tracery and mounted with eight lozenge-shaped silver plaquettes that are engraved with saints, rising above the cross, formed of stylized tree trunks with Christ clad in a gilt loin cloth.
Other treasures include “Profile of a Lady Deruta,” by Majolica Albarello, circa 1500 (24.5 centimeters); Giovanni Della Robbia’s famous “San Donatus Blessing the Dragon,” 1469-1523. Florence polychromed terra-cotta (34 by 57 by 13 inches), a church tympanum half-length figure of mitered San Donatus, a martyr, as well as the second bishop and patron saint of Arezzo, wearing white robes and an aubergine coat fastened with a yellow morse modeled with a cardinal’s hat.
Donatus holds in his left hand a yellow pastoral staff, his right hand is raised in blessing. The background is of rocks and green trees, which are modeled in relief and are juxtaposed against a deep blue sky and at left an emblematic green and yellow dragon, symbolizing Evil and squatting on a taboret.
For information, 212-734-3222.
