Francesco Xanto Avelli, Cup with “Isaac Blesses Jacob”

The depiction of Isaac blessing Jacob is a fairly faithful reproduction of the printed version signed by Agostino Veneziano and dated 1522, taken from the analogous episode frescoed in the fifth vault of the Vatican Loggias. The importance of the cup consists in the presence of the date “1529” and the initials of the workshop of Maestro Giorgio “da Ugubio” who finished the lustre of the maiolica. From a stylistic point of view, the work is characterised by its strong lines, rich colours and the full volumetry of the bodies; these aspects are reminiscent of Francesco Xanto Avelli and precisely of the initial phase of his activity, which continued with certain dates until 1542.