The Sacrifice of a Swine
Plaquette Bronze
15th century (made)
15th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This plaquette is made by Riccio (Andrea Briosco, called Il Riccio) in the 15th century in Italy.
Riccio (meaning 'Curly-Head') worked primarily in bronze and is acknowledged as the master of the bronze statuette during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was active in the humanist circle of the University of Padua, in north-east Italy.
His statuettes, functional objects, like oil lamps, and reliefs reflect Riccio's inimitable ability to express the most refined humanist ideas prevalent in the Veneto in bronze.
He was also a specialist in rendering themes of Classical mythology.
His oeuvre is often neglected because of its small scale, but it constitutes one of the most fascinating manifestations of the poetic paganism of the High Renaissance.
Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440ies 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.
Riccio (meaning 'Curly-Head') worked primarily in bronze and is acknowledged as the master of the bronze statuette during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was active in the humanist circle of the University of Padua, in north-east Italy.
His statuettes, functional objects, like oil lamps, and reliefs reflect Riccio's inimitable ability to express the most refined humanist ideas prevalent in the Veneto in bronze.
He was also a specialist in rendering themes of Classical mythology.
His oeuvre is often neglected because of its small scale, but it constitutes one of the most fascinating manifestations of the poetic paganism of the High Renaissance.
Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440ies 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.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Plaquette in bronze, "The Sacrifice of a Swine", Italy, 15th century |
| Physical description | Two naked youths are preparing to sacrifice a swine, held on the ground in front of an altar on which a priest is kindling fire. There are numerous worshippers present, including two trumpeters on the left; the background is an architectural perspective. Moulded rim. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions | Two naked youths are preparing to sacrifice a swine, held on the ground in front of an altar on which a priest is kindling fire. There are numerous worshippers present, including two trumpeters on the left; the background is an architectural perspective |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This plaquette is made by Riccio (Andrea Briosco, called Il Riccio) in the 15th century in Italy. Riccio (meaning 'Curly-Head') worked primarily in bronze and is acknowledged as the master of the bronze statuette during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He was active in the humanist circle of the University of Padua, in north-east Italy. His statuettes, functional objects, like oil lamps, and reliefs reflect Riccio's inimitable ability to express the most refined humanist ideas prevalent in the Veneto in bronze. He was also a specialist in rendering themes of Classical mythology. His oeuvre is often neglected because of its small scale, but it constitutes one of the most fascinating manifestations of the poetic paganism of the High Renaissance. Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440ies 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. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 897-1855 |
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 16, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
