Not currently on display at the V&A

An allegory of fame

Plaquette
early 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaquette depicting Fame and Cupid is made by Riccio in Padua, in the early 16th century.
Riccio (1470-1532) - 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.
Riccio was trained as a goldsmith and lived and worked all his live in Padua. Today he is acknowledged as one of the greatest bronze sculptors of the Renaissance.
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.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAn allegory of fame (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Plaquette, bronze, an allegory of Fame, by Riccio, Italy (Padua), early 16th century
Physical description
Plaquette depicts Fame seated on a garlanded globe holding a palm and blowing a trunpet. Cupid, winged, with basket of fruit standing on a satyr-mask pedestal and watering with a ewer the roots of a palm tree.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.7cm
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This plaquette depicting Fame and Cupid is made by Riccio in Padua, in the early 16th century.
Riccio (1470-1532) - 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.
Riccio was trained as a goldsmith and lived and worked all his live in Padua. Today he is acknowledged as one of the greatest bronze sculptors of the Renaissance.
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.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 65
  • Maclagan, Eric. Catalogue of Italian Plaquettes . London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924, p. 23
Collection
Accession number
A.416-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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