The inscription on the base reads: 'the work of Francesco, goldsmith of Padua'. Although Sant’Agata was a goldsmith, this wooden statuette is his most famous work, already celebrated in the sixteenth century. It was mentioned in Bernardino Scardeone’s history of Padua of 1560 which makes the piece exceptional as wooden sculptures were rarely documented in Renaissance sources.
Wallace was unaware of the identity of the sculptor and considered the inscription a mystery. The correct attribution was re-established at the end of Wallace's life.
c. 1520
Boxwood
S273
Images and text © Wallace Collection, 2017
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