Antique German Sistine Madonna after Raphael in Ornate Gilt Frame | Circa 1900 – 1915
Description
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Historical Context & Origin
Region: Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany
Material: Varnished colour print or oleograph, likely with hand-finished details; giltwood and molded composition frame
Period: Early 20th century, circa 1900–1915
Description
An early-20th-century German framed reproduction after Raphael’s celebrated Renaissance masterpiece The Sistine Madonna, also known by its Italian title, Madonna di San Sisto.
The composition depicts the Virgin Mary advancing through clouds while carrying the Christ Child. She is flanked by Pope Saint Sixtus II on the left and Saint Barbara on the right, both shown kneeling in reverence. Two winged putti rest along the lower edge, gazing upward toward the heavenly scene. These figures later became among the most widely reproduced angelic images in Western art.
The image appears to be a varnished colour print or oleograph, possibly embellished or extensively hand-finished with oil-based pigments to imitate the surface and tonal qualities of an original painting. The flowing blue, red, gold, and green garments are presented against pale clouds and parted dark-green curtains.
The work is housed within an elaborate pierced giltwood and molded composition frame decorated with scrolling acanthus leaves and Rococo Revival ornament. Its original German trade label remains attached to the reverse, providing valuable evidence of its framing and early retail history in Erfurt.
Features
- Depiction of the Madonna di San Sisto
- Virgin Mary carrying the Christ Child
- Pope Saint Sixtus II and Saint Barbara
- Famous pair of winged putti along the lower edge
- Varnished colour print or oleographic image
- Possible hand-painted or oil-enhanced details
- Ornate giltwood and molded composition frame
- Pierced Rococo Revival foliate ornament
- Original A. Menge of Erfurt trade label
- Early German framing and retail history
- Sloans & Kenyon auction label
Cultural Significance
Raphael painted the original Sistine Madonna in approximately 1512–1513 after receiving a commission from Pope Julius II for the Benedictine monastery church of San Sisto in Piacenza, Italy.
The figures were carefully selected for the original setting. Saint Sixtus refers to the church for which the altarpiece was created, while Saint Barbara was traditionally associated with protection and a peaceful death. Beneath the principal figures, Raphael included two contemplative putti leaning upon a ledge.
After the original entered the Dresden royal collection during the 18th century, it became especially celebrated throughout Germany. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, painted copies, engravings, lithographs, oleographs, photographs, and decorative reproductions made Raphael’s composition accessible to a much wider audience.
This example reflects that period in which renowned Old Master paintings were reproduced for private homes, allowing families to display admired religious and artistic imagery without possessing an original painting.
Condition
Good to fair antique condition consistent with age. The image remains readily legible and visually attractive, with age-related toning, fading, surface grime, abrasions, small marks, and unevenness or discoloration to the old varnished surface. The exact printing and hand-finishing process has not been scientifically tested.
The ornate frame exhibits extensive age-related wear, including chips, cracks, separations, old repairs, and losses to several projecting scrolls and pierced ornamental sections, particularly around the outer edges and corners. Areas of missing gilding and composition expose the underlying gesso and wood. The frame should be handled carefully by its solid inner structure rather than by the delicate projecting ornament.
The reverse backing and original paper label display staining, abrasions, small losses, and general age-related deterioration. An older hanging fitting and later auction label remain present.
Dimensions (Approximate)
Framed Height: 10 in
Framed Width: 8 in
Age (Approximate)
111–126 years old
Provenance
Framed and likely retailed by A. Menge of Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany. The original printed trade label identifies the company’s retail premises at Neuestraße 6 and its factory at Weiße Gasse 10.
Translated from German, the label describes A. Menge as a manufacturer of gold mouldings, picture frames, and mirrors, operating its own gilding workshop and specializing in framing of every kind. It also advertises a large selection of framed and unframed art prints after old and modern masters, together with picture cleaning and frame regilding services. This surviving label provides direct evidence of the work’s early German framing and commercial history.
Subsequently handled by Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers of Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States. An auction or inventory label marked with number 76 remains attached to the reverse.
Learn More
View Raphael’s original Sistine Madonna, dated 1512–1513, in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
Browse our Collection of Religious & Spiritual Relics
Description
Historical Context & Origin
Region: Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany
Material: Varnished colour print or oleograph, likely with hand-finished details; giltwood and molded composition frame
Period: Early 20th century, circa 1900–1915
Description
An early-20th-century German framed reproduction after Raphael’s celebrated Renaissance masterpiece The Sistine Madonna, also known by its Italian title, Madonna di San Sisto.
The composition depicts the Virgin Mary advancing through clouds while carrying the Christ Child. She is flanked by Pope Saint Sixtus II on the left and Saint Barbara on the right, both shown kneeling in reverence. Two winged putti rest along the lower edge, gazing upward toward the heavenly scene. These figures later became among the most widely reproduced angelic images in Western art.
The image appears to be a varnished colour print or oleograph, possibly embellished or extensively hand-finished with oil-based pigments to imitate the surface and tonal qualities of an original painting. The flowing blue, red, gold, and green garments are presented against pale clouds and parted dark-green curtains.
The work is housed within an elaborate pierced giltwood and molded composition frame decorated with scrolling acanthus leaves and Rococo Revival ornament. Its original German trade label remains attached to the reverse, providing valuable evidence of its framing and early retail history in Erfurt.
Features
- Depiction of the Madonna di San Sisto
- Virgin Mary carrying the Christ Child
- Pope Saint Sixtus II and Saint Barbara
- Famous pair of winged putti along the lower edge
- Varnished colour print or oleographic image
- Possible hand-painted or oil-enhanced details
- Ornate giltwood and molded composition frame
- Pierced Rococo Revival foliate ornament
- Original A. Menge of Erfurt trade label
- Early German framing and retail history
- Sloans & Kenyon auction label
Cultural Significance
Raphael painted the original Sistine Madonna in approximately 1512–1513 after receiving a commission from Pope Julius II for the Benedictine monastery church of San Sisto in Piacenza, Italy.
The figures were carefully selected for the original setting. Saint Sixtus refers to the church for which the altarpiece was created, while Saint Barbara was traditionally associated with protection and a peaceful death. Beneath the principal figures, Raphael included two contemplative putti leaning upon a ledge.
After the original entered the Dresden royal collection during the 18th century, it became especially celebrated throughout Germany. By the 19th and early 20th centuries, painted copies, engravings, lithographs, oleographs, photographs, and decorative reproductions made Raphael’s composition accessible to a much wider audience.
This example reflects that period in which renowned Old Master paintings were reproduced for private homes, allowing families to display admired religious and artistic imagery without possessing an original painting.
Condition
Good to fair antique condition consistent with age. The image remains readily legible and visually attractive, with age-related toning, fading, surface grime, abrasions, small marks, and unevenness or discoloration to the old varnished surface. The exact printing and hand-finishing process has not been scientifically tested.
The ornate frame exhibits extensive age-related wear, including chips, cracks, separations, old repairs, and losses to several projecting scrolls and pierced ornamental sections, particularly around the outer edges and corners. Areas of missing gilding and composition expose the underlying gesso and wood. The frame should be handled carefully by its solid inner structure rather than by the delicate projecting ornament.
The reverse backing and original paper label display staining, abrasions, small losses, and general age-related deterioration. An older hanging fitting and later auction label remain present.
Dimensions (Approximate)
Framed Height: 10 in
Framed Width: 8 in
Age (Approximate)
111–126 years old
Provenance
Framed and likely retailed by A. Menge of Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany. The original printed trade label identifies the company’s retail premises at Neuestraße 6 and its factory at Weiße Gasse 10.
Translated from German, the label describes A. Menge as a manufacturer of gold mouldings, picture frames, and mirrors, operating its own gilding workshop and specializing in framing of every kind. It also advertises a large selection of framed and unframed art prints after old and modern masters, together with picture cleaning and frame regilding services. This surviving label provides direct evidence of the work’s early German framing and commercial history.
Subsequently handled by Sloans & Kenyon Auctioneers and Appraisers of Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States. An auction or inventory label marked with number 76 remains attached to the reverse.
Learn More
View Raphael’s original Sistine Madonna, dated 1512–1513, in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
Browse our Collection of Religious & Spiritual Relics
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