The Three Graces
- Object:
- Place of origin:
Nuremberg, Germany (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Schweigger, George, born 1613 - died 1690 (circle of, makers)
- Materials and Techniques:
Solnhofen stone in relief
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
Sculpture, room 111, case DR2
- Download image
Alabaster and Solnhofen stone are relatively soft materials, which can be easily carved with a knife. Marble, on the other hand, is a hard, fine-grained, crystalline stone, which has to be carved with chisels and a mallet. All can be polished with fine abrasive powders, with marble, in particular, taking a high polish. Solnhofen stone is similar to marble in colour, but soft. It comes from quarries near Solnhofen in Franconia in southern Germany. Sculptors in Nuremberg, Augsburg and Eichstädt used it from the 1570s.
This composition is a reworking of an early 16th century adaptation of the theme, typical of the northern Renaissance. Although not directly related to a specific example, the composition reflects the treatment of similar groups in the prints of Albrecht Dürer.
Physical description
Group of the graces in relief.
Place of Origin
Nuremberg, Germany (made)
Date
ca. 1650 (made)
Artist/maker
Schweigger, George, born 1613 - died 1690 (circle of, makers)
Materials and Techniques
Solnhofen stone in relief
Dimensions
Height: 11 in, Width: 7.5 in
Object history note
This composition is a reworking of an early 16th century adaptation of the theme, typical of the northern Renaissance. Although not directly related to a specific example, the composition reflects the treatment of similar groups in the prints of Albrecht Dürer.
Descriptive line
Panel relief, Solnhofen stone, the Three Graces, Germany, about 1650
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1864 In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 53
Trusted, Marjorie, ed. The Making of Sculpture. The Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture. London: 2007, p. 102, pl. 178
Labels and date
This composition is a reworking of an early 16th century adaptation of the theme, typical of the northern Renaissance. Although not directly related to a specific example, the composition reflects the treatment of similar groups in the prints of Albrecht Dürer. [Dec 1994]
Production Note
Attributed to the circle of Georg Schweigger (1613-1690).
Materials
Solnhofen stone
Techniques
Relief
Subjects depicted
The Three Graces
Categories
Sculpture; Reliefs
Collection code
SCP
