Chemist [Pharmacist]
Italy: c. 1950s
Painted wooden plaque
27 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches
$550
Allegorical Plaque of Chemist
Italy: c. 1950s
Italy: c. 1950s
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A charming wooden plaque of a "chemist" -- as apothecaries or pharmacists are called in Britain -- his body composed of various pharmacy apparatus including glass flasks and jars. The plaque is based on a style of physiognomic prints and paintings popular in Italy and the Continent in the late 17th century, allegorical portrayals of various profession in which the bodies are composed from the tools of their trade. Though painted in Italy, it was evidently made for the English-speaking market as it is titled on the base in English.
For more information about
the physiognomic genre, see our article, Physiognomy: You Are the Sum of Your Parts.
Condition: Generally good with the usual wear.