Frieze 1450 - 1499

This Frieze was made by Giovanni Dalmata, likely in Italy, around 1480-1490, from a soft, workable limestone. The stone has been carved in low relief to depict a series of cherubic figures alternating with wreaths and rosettes, all supported by a richly ornamented base. Looking closely, we can appreciate how Dalmata shaped the stone with chisels and rasps to create subtle gradations of light and shadow. The wreaths and rosettes are crisply articulated, almost as if they were mechanically produced. It's worth remembering that this level of refinement took tremendous labor. Stoneworking like this would have been commissioned by wealthy patrons to ornament their palaces and churches. As such, this Frieze stands as an index of Renaissance artistic practices but also of the hierarchical societies that made such commissions possible. Considering the material and the process of making, we can understand the full meaning of this artwork, which challenges traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.