** A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork will be donated to the Anthony Quinn Foundation, whose mission is to advocate for the important role arts education plays in personal development and in the overall improvement of social, economic and cultural systems. Learn more at aqfoundation.org **

Western Europe, probably Italy, ca. 17th century CE. A lovely reverse glass painting of the Muse Erato - an inspirational goddess of love and lyric poetry - standing contrapposto and wearing a marigold peplos and a scarlet himation. Traditional to her iconography, the divine beauty plays a lyre, surrounded by a pastoral setting. A green headband caps her sweet visage, just above a pair of dangle earrings. She is surrounded by lustrous copper border, followed by a modern, gilt, wood frame. Size (without frame): 2.9" W x 10.2" H (7.4 cm x 25.9 cm); (with frame): 3.3" W x 10.7" H (8.4 cm x 27.2 cm)

Reverse glass painting, also known as "verre eglomise" in French or "Hinterglasmalerei" in German, is a centuries-old practice of painting a piece of glass and then viewing it from the other side. This causes the artist to have to think in reverse and start with the details of the painting before adding larger blocks of color. The practice has been widely used for sacral paintings since the Medieval period. Most famous for the reverse glass paintings of the Byzantine Empire, the practice then spread to Venice, where it influenced Renaissance art, and became favored by the Church and nobility throughout Central Europe. It continued as a widely popular folk art through the 19th century.

Provenance: ex-private collection of actor Anthony Quinn and his wife Katherine, Bristol, Rhode Island, USA acquired prior to 2000

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#169231

Repaired from at least 7 pieces with break lines visible at bottom. Loss of glass in lower right corner and small area near figure's feet, as well as losses to copper border and some pigment, especially on figure's robe. Set in a modern, gilt, wood frame.