This group recalls the work Master of the Unruly Children (1). This toscan artist was first named by critics, especially the director of the Berlin museum Wilhelm von Bode, for his groups of fighting putti, of which there are three extant examples: that of Berlin, mutilated during the War, that of the Victoria & Alberts in London, and one in a private italian collection.
However, these groups differ from ours by a more vigorous construction of the bodies, thicker bases showing the marks of the molding, and repetitive and identifiable characters, for instance in the hairs. In comparison, in our group, one putto is more chubby whereas his opponent is more atlhetic. Our group already displays the mannerist construction of bodies exemplified for instance by artists such as Pierino da Vinci, Niccolo Tribolo or Niccolo Roccatagliata.
Patinated terracotta, anciently varnished, rest of brown painting and traces of gilding in the air. The aim of this polychromy was perhaps the imitation of partially gilt bronzes, such as those of the Antico. Part of the base reattached, including part of a leg. Some accidents and lacks.
Height : 31 cm - width : 30,5 cm - depth : 18 cm
This group was the subject of a thermoluminescence dating by the QED laboratory from three samples, showing a firing between 550 and 400 years old (i.e. between 1470 and 1620).
(1) (Meister der unartigen Kinder, maître des enfants agités, maestro dei bambini turbolenti ou irrequieti), florentine artist identified recently as Sandro di Lorenzo di Smeraldo (1485-1554)
