Polychrome painted grotesque on an old wooden structure

Autentiqua’s Grotesques are the result of a well-honed manual interpretation, where the pictorial elements take shape from gestural brush strokes that enhance the contours and volumes, with shades that evoke enchanting harmonies.

This painting is a unique and original piece created on an ancient wooden body in the shape of a tabernacle, with distressed and aged materials.

Cm: 106 x 83
Inches: 41.7 x 32.7

Mixed media:  Autentiqua’s paintings are made with “lean tempera” plus chalk, clay, pigments, vegetable glues and other ingredients, using ancient techniques handed down by skilled Master Craftsmen.

This painting is ready to hang on the wall, being equipped with a sturdy handmade iron hook.

 

Price including shipping:

2.100,00

1 in stock

MEANING

Grotesque decorations depict mythological subjects, fantastic landscapes and plant motifs. The elements draw from fantasy and dreamlike visions made of female or male figures intertwined with acanthus leaves, spirals, flower vases, flying birds, drapings, mythological scenes, zodiac signs, symbols, allegories, coats of arms, and a great variety of ornamental motifs inserted into surreal landscapes and architectural perspectives.

It is a fantastic scenario of creative and airy extravagance, further enhanced by the use of contrasting colors, with bright and exuberant polychrome combinations. The variety of subjects makes Autentiqua ‘s Grotesque paintings particularly versatile and suitable for a number of different settings.

 

INSPIRATION

Autentiqua’s wide repertoire of whimsical grotesque paintings stems from in-depth philological research and from a creative activity pursued with dedication and care down to the smallest detail. It is the result of a constant reworking of the immense artistic heritage dating from the Renaissance to the present.

Starting from Rome, the Grotesques spread quickly throughout Italy, meeting with much success in Tuscany and especially in Florence, where we can admire these extravagant decorations in many of the city’s Renaissance palaces, including Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi.

 

PROCESS

Each piece is handcrafted with the utmost attention to detail, resulting in a unique and original work. Autentiqua’s paintings are made with ancient traditional lean tempera techniques, with plaster, clay, pigments, and vegetable glues.

The antique wood endows the painting with a unique, exclusive character, due to the irregular surface and different grain of the material itself. The textured finish of the surface is made up of cracks, frayings, chippings, patinas, and layerings that remind us of ancient frescoed walls.

Upon commission, we can also create paintings on antique wood or on natural canvas, with colors and characteristics customized according to the client’s needs.

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