Childhood of Jupiter
Relief
ca. 1697-1705/10 (made)
ca. 1697-1705/10 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This relief made by Ignaz Elhafen in ca. 1697-1705/10 represents the childhood of Jupiter. The monochrome colouring of material meant that ivories such as this could ape in miniature the ancient marbles much valued by connoisseurs and collectors of the time. Jupiter was reared on a mountainside in order that his father, Cronos, would not swallow him up.
Two reliefs depicting the Childhood of Bacchus in the Bayerisches National Museum in Munich (inv. no. R 4673 monogrammed by Elhafen; and inv. no. 4674 after Elhafen) differ from the V&A relief, though they are mentioned in the 2013 catalogue by Trusted.
Elhafen (1658-1715) was trained in Innsbruck, and then travelled to Italy, probably between 1675 and 1678. Subsequently he worked in Vienna, and then in Düsseldorf, where he was based at the court of Johann II Wilhelm, the Elector Palatine from 1703/4 onwards. Elhafen worked in ivory above all, although he also produced small-scale sculptures in wood. He specialised in relief sculptures and many of these are based on prints.
Two reliefs depicting the Childhood of Bacchus in the Bayerisches National Museum in Munich (inv. no. R 4673 monogrammed by Elhafen; and inv. no. 4674 after Elhafen) differ from the V&A relief, though they are mentioned in the 2013 catalogue by Trusted.
Elhafen (1658-1715) was trained in Innsbruck, and then travelled to Italy, probably between 1675 and 1678. Subsequently he worked in Vienna, and then in Düsseldorf, where he was based at the court of Johann II Wilhelm, the Elector Palatine from 1703/4 onwards. Elhafen worked in ivory above all, although he also produced small-scale sculptures in wood. He specialised in relief sculptures and many of these are based on prints.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Childhood of Jupiter (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory |
| Brief description | Relief, ivory, The Childhood of Jupiter, by Ignaz Elhafen, German, ca. 1697-1705/10 |
| Physical description | Pan is seated on the left, holding a tambourine aloft, behind him a female figure plays the cymbals, and a satyr near a large urn looks on at the central scene. A reclining female figure in the centre milks a goat (Amalthea), turning towards a small naked child (Jupiter), seated behind her, holding a bottle. Another satyr plays a pipe on the right, and three female figures recline in the background. Monogrammed 'I.E.'. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA |
| Object history | Given by Dr. W. L. Hildburgh FSA in 1949. Formerly on loan from Dr Hildburgh. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This relief made by Ignaz Elhafen in ca. 1697-1705/10 represents the childhood of Jupiter. The monochrome colouring of material meant that ivories such as this could ape in miniature the ancient marbles much valued by connoisseurs and collectors of the time. Jupiter was reared on a mountainside in order that his father, Cronos, would not swallow him up. Two reliefs depicting the Childhood of Bacchus in the Bayerisches National Museum in Munich (inv. no. R 4673 monogrammed by Elhafen; and inv. no. 4674 after Elhafen) differ from the V&A relief, though they are mentioned in the 2013 catalogue by Trusted. Elhafen (1658-1715) was trained in Innsbruck, and then travelled to Italy, probably between 1675 and 1678. Subsequently he worked in Vienna, and then in Düsseldorf, where he was based at the court of Johann II Wilhelm, the Elector Palatine from 1703/4 onwards. Elhafen worked in ivory above all, although he also produced small-scale sculptures in wood. He specialised in relief sculptures and many of these are based on prints. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.49-1949 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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