c. 1505-07 (engraved)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This print, engraved by Zoan Andrea after a drawing by Giovanni Pietro da Birago, shows an elaborate candelabrum. This type of decoration is known as ‘grotesque’, whose name derives from the Italian word grottesco. It was inspired by ancient Roman designs discovered at the end of the 15th century in the underground rooms, or grottoes, of the Golden House of Emperor Nero in Rome. Grotesque ornament was used to decorate a wide range of objects, such as ceramics, and the style was much copied by Renaissance artists.
The candelabrum design draws from Roman antiquity not only in its style, but also in its subject matter, which is drawn from classical myths. In this print, a Triton, a sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphritete, is shown playing an instrument, and above him are two infant fauns.
The candelabrum design draws from Roman antiquity not only in its style, but also in its subject matter, which is drawn from classical myths. In this print, a Triton, a sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphritete, is shown playing an instrument, and above him are two infant fauns.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Engraving |
| Brief description | Giovanni Pietro da Birago and Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, plate 4 from set of 12 ornamental panels. Italian, c. 1505-7. |
| Physical description | Ornamental panel with a triton and two infant satyrs. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | Signed in monogram .Z.A. |
| Object history | With the discovery in the late 1400s of Roman grotesque wall painting (case 21) candelabra became more elaborate, using a wide range of different elements. The designer of this print was a miniature painter; such a composition could only have been done in paint, on a wall or on a decorated page. See extensive note in Miller (1999) pp. 69-70. |
| Production | B. XIII, 24. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This print, engraved by Zoan Andrea after a drawing by Giovanni Pietro da Birago, shows an elaborate candelabrum. This type of decoration is known as ‘grotesque’, whose name derives from the Italian word grottesco. It was inspired by ancient Roman designs discovered at the end of the 15th century in the underground rooms, or grottoes, of the Golden House of Emperor Nero in Rome. Grotesque ornament was used to decorate a wide range of objects, such as ceramics, and the style was much copied by Renaissance artists. The candelabrum design draws from Roman antiquity not only in its style, but also in its subject matter, which is drawn from classical myths. In this print, a Triton, a sea god, son of Poseidon and Amphritete, is shown playing an instrument, and above him are two infant fauns. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.631-1890 |
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| Record created | May 18, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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