Antique Marriage Scene

Valerio Belli

Associated Names
Valerio Belli

Artist, Italian, 1468 - 1546

The oval-shaped bronze medallion features a scene with human figures and a winged figure above. In the background, there is a structure resembling a classical building or temple with a triangular pediment. The material appears to be dark and tarnished, likely bronze, with a reddish-brown hue. The surface has a textured appearance, indicative of age and wear. The sculpted figures are in relief, protruding from the background, and appear to be partaking in a procession or gathering. There is a small hole at the top of the medallion, suggesting it may have been designed to be hung or worn. The figures are in classical attire, reminiscent of draped robes in ancient Greco-Roman depictions.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (oval): 5.6 x 4.5 cm (2 3/16 x 1 3/4 in.) gross weight: 26 gr

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.177


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Oscar Hainauer [d. 1894], Berlin; his wife, Julie Hainauer, Berlin; acquired 1906 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); by exchange 21 October 1920 to Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1897

  • Bode, Wilhelm von, ed. Die Sammlung Oscar Hainauer / The Collection of Oscar Hainauer. [bound as one volume, English and German pages interleaved in one page sequence] Berlin, 1897 and London, 1906: no. 208.

1908

  • A Cabinet of One Hundred & Thirty-Three Bronze Plaques and Medals of the Renaissance Period from the Collection of the Late Herr Oscar Hainauer of Berlin. Ed. Duveen Brothers. London, n.d. (but 1908): no. 64, repro.

1942

  • Works of Art from the Widener Collection. Foreword by David Finley and John Walker. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 15.

2004

  • Donati, Valentino and Rosanna Casadio. Bronzi e pietre dure nelle incisione di Valerio Belli vicentino. Ferrara, 2004: 173.

Wikidata ID

Q63810193

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