The Rape of Ganymede
Plaquette
ca. 1540 (made)
ca. 1540 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings. This frequently encountered plaquette shows Ganymede swept into the heavens by Jupiter in the guise of an eagle. It is taken from a lost rock crystal engraving that Bernardi produced for Cardinal Ippolito de’ Medici. He adapted the composition from a drawing that Michelangelo made in the winter of 1532.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | The Rape of Ganymede (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Bronze |
Brief description | Elliptical bronze plaque depicting the Rape of Ganymede, probably moulded from an engraved crystal, after a design by Michelangelo, by Giovanni Bernardi, Italy, 16th century |
Physical description | Elliptical bronze plaque depicting the Rape of Ganymede, probably moulded from an engraved crystal |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Formerly in the Gherardini Collection of artists’ terracotta and wax models Acquired in 1854 |
Production | After a design by Michelangelo, by Giovanni Bernardi |
Subject depicted | |
Summary | Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings. This frequently encountered plaquette shows Ganymede swept into the heavens by Jupiter in the guise of an eagle. It is taken from a lost rock crystal engraving that Bernardi produced for Cardinal Ippolito de’ Medici. He adapted the composition from a drawing that Michelangelo made in the winter of 1532. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 4120-1854 |
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Record created | August 24, 2004 |
Record URL |
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