Detail from an intarsia piece by Fra Damiano da Bergamo, early 16th century. Note the subtle dots of greenish-blue in the covered archway.
Featured on PDR in the essay Exquisite Rot: Spalted Wood and the Lost Art of Intarsia
The technique of intarsia — the fitting together of pieces of intricately cut wood to make often complex images — has produced some of the most awe-inspiring pieces of Renaissance craftsmanship. Daniel Elkind explores the history of this masterful art, and how an added dash of colour arose from a most unlikely source: lumber ridden with fungus.
Also appearing in the essay…
Detail from an intarsia piece by Fra Damiano da Bergamo
Artist
Date
early 16th century
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