AFTER ALESSANDRO ALGARDI (1598-1654) ROME, 18TH CENTURY
Extraordinary round bas-relief in gilded bronze with clear and precise details, depicting the "Beheading of Saint Paul" and dating back to around the mid-18th century.
The original sculpture was commissioned in marble by Alessandro Algardi for the altar of the Basilica of San Paolo in Bologna. At the time, examples were made in various materials, for example marble, terracotta, silver, bronze, clay and gilded bronze.
The diameter of the bas-relief is 47 cm, the weight is 11 kg.
Together with Gianlorenzo Bernini, Alessandro Algardi was the most important and illustrious sculptor of mid-17th century Rome. In October 1634 he was commissioned to model a monumental freestanding group, the Beheading of St. Paul, for the altar of the Basilica of St. Paul in Bologna. The plans for the altar had already been drawn up by Bernini. However, the task fell to Algardi and the magnificent monumental marble sculpture that resulted is visible today on the main altar. In 1648 Algardi added a bronze relief to decorate the frontal, under the marble group. Another bronze relief version of the Beheading of St Paul is in the Victoria and Albert Museum (inv. no. A.68-1962). RELATED LITERATURE J. Montagu, Alessandro Algardi, New Haven / London, 1985, vol. II, pp. 369-376, n. 69; MH Ravalli, Alessandro Algardi sculptor, Rome, 1972, pp. 141-143, n. 49; J. Montagu, Algardi