Saint Peter enthroned
after Arnolfo di Cambio (Colle di Val d'Elsa c.1245 - Florence 1302)
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
c. 1850 - 1950
Materials
Bronze, Metal
Measurements
150 mm (H)57 mm (W)50 mm (D)
Order this imageCollection
Cragside, Northumberland
NT 1228388
Summary
Sculpture, bronze; Saint Peter enthroned; after Arnolfo di Cambio; c. 1850-1950. A small reproduction, made for the pilgrim and tourist trades, of the celebrated monumental bronze figure of Saint Peter seated, in St Peter’s in Rome, which is generally attributed to the Italian sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (fl 1265; died 1302).
Full description
A small bronze figure of Saint Peter seated upon a high-backed throne, elaborately decorated on its sides. Peter looks firmly ahead, is dressed in a long robe, and carries a key in his left hand. His right arm and hand, held out in blessing, are missing. On an integral rectangular base with the inscriptions SAN PIETRO and ROMA. The little bronze is a small copy, made for pilgrims or tourists, of one of the most famous sculptures in the Basilica of Saint Peter’s in Rome, a monumental bronze figure of the seated Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Christ, who is also regarded as the founder of the Churches of Antioch and Rome. The sculpture is generally accepted as a remodelling by the Italian architect and sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (fl 1265; died 1302) of an antique statue of a philosopher. It was originally sited in the atrium of Old St Peter’s (today the Grotte Vaticane) before being moved into the new Basilica. The bronze figure has for centuries been venerated by pilgrims, whose touching of the feet has over time almost worn away this part of the bronze figure. Jeremy Warren April 2022
Provenance
Armstrong collection. Transferred by the Treasury to The National Trust in 1977 via the National Land Fund, aided by 3rd Baron Armstrong of Bamburgh and Cragside (1919 - 1987).
Marks and inscriptions
On front panel of base: : SAN PIETRO / ROMA Roma
Makers and roles
after Arnolfo di Cambio (Colle di Val d'Elsa c.1245 - Florence 1302), sculptor