PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOSEPH BRUMMER, NEW YORK (LOTS 706-708) THE BRUMMER COLLECTION After the First World War, the three Brummer brothers Joseph, Ernest and Imre, established the first Brummer Gallery in Paris. They specialized in Pre-Columbian and Egyptian art, Greek and Roman antiquities and 20th century artists such as Brancusi, quickly becoming both well-known and well-respected. An additional gallery was established in Egypt but the most important gallery soon became New York, where they eventually settled at 58th and Park. The Brummer Gallery was instrumental in helping to build some of the most significant public and private collections of sculpture and works of art in America. In particular, they worked closely with the Brooklyn Museum of Art, helping to establish their Egyptian collections and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Cloisters -- through the donations of John D. Rockefeller -- culminating with the Metropolitan's $1,000,000 purchase of part of Joseph Brummer's collection upon his death in 1947.

A MARBLE RELIEF OF THE VIRGIN AND CHILD

FLORENTINE, LATE 15TH CENTURY

Details

A MARBLE RELIEF OF THE VIRGIN AND CHILD
Florentine, late 15th century
31in. (79cm.) high, 19in. (48cm.) wide

Provenance

The Joseph Brummer Collection, New York.
Ernest Brummer.
Richard Brummer, by descent.

Lot Essay

The marble relief is close to many celebrated versions, including those by Antonio Rosellino (the Altman Madonna in the Metropolitan Museum of Art), Andrea del Verrocchio, Desiderio da Settignano and Andrea della Robbia (see J. Pope-Hennessy, The Study and Criticism of Italian Sculpture, New York, 1980, pp. 135-152 and 226-227). In addition, following the success of these images, many contemporary copies, of which this is one, were made. Although notably simpler in compositional details and the quality of the carving, the present example, remains an arresting and important representation of 15th century Florentine relief sculpture.

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