A MONUMENTAL MARBLE SUNDIAL, PORTUGUESE, MID 18TH CENTURY

A MONUMENTAL MARBLE SUNDIAL PORTUGUESE, MID 18TH CENTURY Surmount of twin cherubs flanking urn, above circular vertical dial, with broad sweeping raised stylised acanthus fanning below, within bold baroque scrolling volutes, lowest with raised floral decoration, stepped breakfront plinth below approximately 357cm high, 130cm wide, 67cm deep A monumental marble sundial of this ambitious size and scale would have been commissioned for aristocratic quintas and formal gardens, serving both as a timekeeper and as expressions of status and cultivated taste. The detailing of the sculptural putti cornice and the bold scrolling tapering frame ties this work into mid 18th century Baroque Portuguese garden and architectural sculpture. The ornamental vocabulary relates closely to the architectural stonework of the period, including the sculptural programmes associated with the Casa dos Porto Carreiro (Obras do Fidalgo), and to the integrated architectural sculpture at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. In each case, sculpture is conceived as an extension of architecture, designed to be read at scale within a formal landscape setting. Examples of comparable scale and sculptural confidence are rare, making this an important survival of Portuguese Baroque garden sculpture. Condition Report Disclaimer, A MONUMENTAL MARBLE SUNDIAL, A MONUMENTAL MARBLE SUNDIAL PORTUGUESE, MID 18TH CENTURY Surmount of twin cherubs flanking urn, above circular vertical dial, with broad sweeping raised stylised acanthus fanning below, within bold baroque scrolling volutes, lowest with raised floral decoration, stepped breakfront plinth below approximately 357cm high, 130cm wide, 67cm deep A monumental marble sundial of this ambitious size and scale would have been commissioned for aristocratic quintas and formal gardens, serving both as a timekeeper and as expressions of status and cultivated taste. The detailing of the sculptural putti cornice and the bold scrolling tapering frame ties this work into mid 18th century Baroque Portuguese garden and architectural sculpture. The ornamental vocabulary relates closely to the architectural stonework of the period, including the sculptural programmes associated with the Casa dos Porto Carreiro (Obras do Fidalgo), and to the integrated architectural sculpture at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte. In each case, sculpture is conceived as an extension of architecture, designed to be read at scale within a formal landscape setting. Examples of comparable scale and sculptural confidence are rare, making this an important survival of Portuguese Baroque garden sculpture. Condition Report Disclaimer

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