123 - Corinthian capital; Renaissance period, 16th century.

Corinthian capital; Renaissance period, 16th century. Sandstone. Measurements: 25 x 36 x 36 cm. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. Carved sandstone capital, created during the Renaissance in accordance with the aesthetic principles of reviving and reinterpreting classical antiquity. The piece is inspired by the Corinthian order, the most profusely ornamented of the three Greek architectural orders, characterized by the richness of its plant motifs and the elegance of its proportions. Traditionally, the invention of the Corinthian capital is attributed to the Greek sculptor Callimachus, toward the end of the 5th century B.C., according to the tradition recorded by Vitruvius. Its distinctive feature is its plant-based ornamentation, consisting mainly of acanthus leaves, which gives the capital a marked decorative quality. Although it originated in the Greek world, the Corinthian order achieved extraordinary prevalence in Roman architecture, becoming one of the principal hallmarks of monumental architecture in Antiquity. During the 16th century, Renaissance architects and sculptors revived these classical models, adapting them to new ideals of harmony, proportion, and formal balance.