Dish thumbnail 1
Dish thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Dish

1575 (dated)
Artist/Maker
Calamelli, Virgiliotto (maker)
Place of origin
Faenza (made)

This scene of Alexander the Great visiting the tomb of Achilles was adapted by the painter of this dish from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi after Raphael. (Bartsch, XVI, 207)


Object details

Categories
Ceramics
Maiolica
Object type
Dish
Materials and techniques
Tin-glazed earthenware, painted
Earthenware
Tin Glaze
Glazed
Painted
Brief description
Dish with painted decoration and inscription, ''GIVNTE ALESANDRO ALA FAMOSA TOMBA...', made in the Vigilotto workshop, Faenza, Italy dated 1575, tin-glazed earthenware
Physical description
Dish without foot rim, depicting Alexander depositing the works of Homer in the tomb of Achilles. Painted in blue, orange, yellow, copper green, manganese purple, black and opaque white. Inscribed on the front: ''GIVNTE ALESANDRO ALA FAMOSA TOMBA...'.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 45cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'GIVNTE ALESANDRO ALA FAMOSA TOMBA DEL FIERE ACHILLE SVSPIRADO DISSE O FVRTVNATO CHI SI CHIARA TROBA [sic] TROVASTI E CHE DI TE SI ALTO SCRISSE' (Painted on the front)
    Translation
    Alexander when he came to the famous tomb of the proud Achilles said with a sigh "Happy thou who hast found so splendid a tomb and of whom so exalted a poet has written"
  • 'VR AF 1575' (Maker's mark painted on the back)
Gallery label
Dish Made in Vigilotto workshop, Faenza, Italy dated 1575 GIVNTE ALESANDRO ALA FAMOSA TOMBA DEL FIERE ACHILLE SVSPIRADO DISSE O FVRTVNATO CHI SI CHIARA TROBA (sic) TROVASTI E CHE DI TE SI ALTO SCRISSE Tin-glazed earthenware C.715-1936 Purchased with the John Webb Trust Fund(16/07/2008)
Credit line
Purchased with the assistance of the John Webb Trust Fund
Object history
Oppenheimer Collection: Sale Christie's, 15 July 1936, lot 28.
Production
Cf. G.Liverani, 'La Fortuna di Raffaello nella Maiolica', 1968.
Summary
This scene of Alexander the Great visiting the tomb of Achilles was adapted by the painter of this dish from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi after Raphael. (Bartsch, XVI, 207)
Bibliographic references
  • Rackham, Bernard. Catalogue of Italian maiolica. London : H.M.S.O., 1977.
  • Rackham, Bernard. Catalogue of Italian Maiolica, London : H.M.S.O., 1977
  • Ravanelli Guidotti, Carmen, "Bianchi" di Faenza : Faenza-faïence, Ferrara 1996, p. 80. plate 1a-c, our plate depicted and discussed.
Other number
933 - Rackham (1977)
Collection
Ceramics Collection
Accession number
C.715-1936

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Record createdJuly 16, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O163101/dish-calamelli-virgiliotto/
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