Sculpture, Vlaamse barokke putto - ‘Berouw / Boetvaardigheid’ - 65 cm - Wood

Monumental Flemish Baroque putto 'Repentance / Penitence' with fish Southern Netherlands, ca. 1690–1740 Monumental seated putto, carved from oak, with a large fish on its lap. The figure brings one hand to the face and seems to wipe away a tear. The bent head, the downcast gaze, and the restrained facial expression give the scene a strikingly melancholic and contemplative character. The powerful anatomy, full body forms, deeply cut curls, and heavy drapery folds are characteristic of the Southern Dutch Baroque woodcarving of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Particularly fine is the fish, worked out with clearly carved scales, fins, gills, and head. Iconography The combination of the grieving posture and the fish makes an interpretation as Repentance / Penitence plausible. Within the Christian tradition, fish was associated with fasting and abstinence among other things. In combination with the gesture of sorrow, the sculpture can be read as an allegory of inward remorse and penitence. Without the original ecclesiastical context, however, this identification remains cautious. Given the monumental size and the constructive features, the putto was presumably part of a larger ecclesiastical ensemble, for example an altar, pulpit, confessional, organ case, or other richly carved church furnishings. Such allegorical putti united religious meaning with a distinctly decorative function in Flemish Baroque art. With a height of 65 cm, a powerful silhouette, and a deep dark reddish-brown appearance, the statue today is also a particularly sculptural object for a classic, eclectic, or contemporary interior. Material: carved oak, with later dark brown surface treatment. Dimensions: H. 65 × W. 30 × D. 31 cm Condition Good age-related condition with old joints, shrinkage and drying cracks, wear, and minor damages appropriate to age and use. A portion of the fish’s tail is missing. There is a wooden mounting pin on the underside, presumably related to the original assembly within a larger wooden construction. The dark brown, locally glossy surface treatment is probably of later date. See the photographs for a full impression of execution and condition.

Estimate:£837.59

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