Portraiture reduced to its essentials, scale doing the work of intimacy rather than monument.
This pair of hand painted Italian earthenware plaques depicts Renaissance inspired profile studies, executed in mineral pigments over a glazed ceramic ground. The painterly linework, restrained palette, and visible craquelure place the emphasis on surface and hand rather than polish or symmetry. Thick ceramic bodies with uneven edges and individually applied hanging hardware indicate they were conceived as decorative wall objects from the outset, not architectural fragments. The reverse shows workshop numbering and period mounting, reinforcing their role as collected objects rather than salvaged materials. Time has softened the glaze and tones without flattening them, allowing the portraits to retain presence and human immediacy rather than slipping into pastiche.

Each measures: 15 cm W × 3 cm D × 31 cm H

Excellent condition.

Sold together as a pair only. Price includes both plaques.

View our pieces by appointment at Artarmon and Camperdown.

Collection by arrangement. Local delivery available in Sydney, with weekly freight services to Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Byron Bay and Adelaide.