A pair of late 17th-century columns

A recurring architectural element since the Ancient Times, columns are also a feature of some interior designs. Made of stone, marble or gilt bronze, they can also be extended to gilded wood, particularly in the 16th and 17th century Spanish and Italian interiors, where they form door frames or decorative elements.

The use here of Corinthian capitals, belonging to one of the three orders of architecture defined by the ancient Greeks, illustrates the desire to preserve a faithful reference to the Antique model. However, the lower third of these columns features a rich decoration that departs from the antique model, combining large scrolls, derivatives of the “cut-out leathers” that appeared during the Renaissance, winged angel heads and twisted putti. Rich multicolored highlights heighten the sculpted effects, particularly the angels' faces, and reinforce their attractive decorative effects.