The Fall of Phaeton
Plaquette
late 15th century to early 16th century (made)
late 15th century to early 16th century (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 plaquette is based on a Renaissance cameo though it appears in a number of variants. It shows Phaeton, son of Helios, the sun god. Phaeton’s attempt to drive his father’s chariot ended in disaster when he set fire to the earth and tumbled into the River Po.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Fall of Phaeton (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Plaquette, bronze, depicting the fall of Phaethon, by Moderno, North Italy, 1475-1500 |
| Physical description | Bronze plaquette depicting the fall of Phaethon. Phaethon falls headlong to the ground out of the shattered chariot, in the middle of four wildly plunging horses. Architectural background, with two reliefs of horses in the upper storey, and a dry tree on a hill side seen through an arch to the right. Shallow rim. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Salting Bequest |
| Object history | From the Salting bequest. |
| Subjects 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 plaquette is based on a Renaissance cameo though it appears in a number of variants. It shows Phaeton, son of Helios, the sun god. Phaeton’s attempt to drive his father’s chariot ended in disaster when he set fire to the earth and tumbled into the River Po. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.434-1910 |
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| Record created | October 21, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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