Altar candlestick (pair with 1975.1.1383)

Art Historical Context

This pair of altar candlesticks, crafted around 1565 by Andrea di Alessand, known as Il Bresciano, the refined metalwork of the Italian Renaissance. Standing at 62 cm tall, these copper alloy pieces—classified as bronze with a distinctive thick black varnish patina— designed for ecclesiastical use, likely flanking an altar in a church setting. Il Bresciano, a sculptor from Brescia, was renowned for his intricate bronze works that blended classical motifs with liturgical function, reflecting the era's revival of antiquity amid Catholic Counter-Reformation fervor. The candlesticks striking deco...