Renaissance walnut panel of the triumph of Galatea

Walnut panel carved in bas-relief representing the Triumph of Galatea after the frescoes of the Villa Farnesina by Raphael and the engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi (1515)

Nota bene:
Collector's stamp on the reverse with coat of arms in marine ink and monogram T.H. Attributed to Hans Peisser (1506 – after 1571) mid-16th century
Very good condition, later faux marbled frame.
H.: 61 cm, W.: 45 cm Wax seal on the back Framed.

The Villa Farnesina was built by the Sienese banker Agostino Chigi. In 1513, he commissioned Raphael to decorate the open gallery of his palace with a fresco depicting mythological scenes, including a cycle of the love story between Galatea and the shepherd Arcis. Raphael chose to depict the apotheosis of the nymph. Galatea sails on a conch shell pulled by dolphins, ignoring the song of the Cyclops who is trying to seduce her; on the left, a Triton abducts a Nereid. The twisting of the body and the contrapposto position with one leg bent are canons that embody feminine beauty in the Renaissance. This representation of the ideal of chaste beauty was taken up by many engravers who disseminated this image very widely.
Marcantonio Raimondi is one of them. In 1510, he met Raphael and an intense collaboration was established; it led to a production of important engraved works. This scene of the triumph of Galatea was engraved in 1515 (fig). He thus participated in the influence of the Renaissance throughout Europe, allowing many painters to draw inspiration from the geniuses of the Italian quattrocento. Hans Peisser is a German sculptor who lives and works in Nuremberg in particular. Raphael's work guides his work. A sculpted panel, signed and dated 1525 representing the same scene was purchased in 2012 by the Germanish Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg(check photo).