Achilles mourning for Patroclus
Cameo
1775-1810 (made)
1775-1810 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The art of engraving gemstones has been admired since the early days of the Roman empire. It was revived in Europe during the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cameos and intaglios were prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power and mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This cameo shows how engravers used subjects that had been popular for centuries. It illustrates a scene from the Trojan War and is one of a number of cameos of different periods that show the same subject. The image was taken from a Renaissance
cameo, which in turn was a copy of a Roman relief.
cameo, which in turn was a copy of a Roman relief.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Achilles mourning for Patroclus (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Onyx (layered agate) |
| Brief description | Achilles mourning for Patroclus, possibly by Edward Burch, ca. 1775-1810 |
| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh, FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr W.L Hildburgh, F.S.A. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The art of engraving gemstones has been admired since the early days of the Roman empire. It was revived in Europe during the Renaissance, and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cameos and intaglios were prized and collected, sometimes as symbols of power and mounted in jewelled settings, sometimes as small objects for private devotion or enjoyment. This cameo shows how engravers used subjects that had been popular for centuries. It illustrates a scene from the Trojan War and is one of a number of cameos of different periods that show the same subject. The image was taken from a Renaissance cameo, which in turn was a copy of a Roman relief. |
| Bibliographic reference | Trusted, Marjorie (ed.) The Making of Sculpture. The Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture. London, 2007, p.148, pl. 284. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.33-1937 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | April 14, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
