Aesculapius

15th century

Florentine 15th Century

Associated Names
Florentine 15th Century

Artist

The sculpture depicts a relief carving of a male figure standing in an elegant pose, holding a staff entwined with a serpent. The figure is shown in profile, facing left, with a defined muscular form. The staff, known as a caduceus, is held in the left hand resting on the ground. The sculpture is crafted from a material that appears weathered and earthy brown in color, suggesting it might be made of bronze or a similar metal that has aged over time. This small, oval-shaped relief has a detailed and textured surface, reflecting light to highlight its contours and enhance the three-dimensional quality of the figure. The edges of the oval frame the figure, adding a sense of completeness to the composition.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Light brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (oval): 5.66 x 3.64 cm (2 1/4 x 1 7/16 in.)
    gross weight: 25.59 gr (0.056 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.157

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1886

  • Molinier, Émile. Les Bronzes de la Renaissance. Les Plaquettes; Catalogue Raisonné. 2 vols. Paris, 1886: 1:11, no. 19, as Italian fifteenth century.

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931: 34, no. 33, pl. 15.

1951

  • Renaissance Bronzes: Statuettes, Reliefs and Plaquettes, Medals and Coins from the Kress Collection. Introduction by Perry B. Cott. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1951: 142.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: 75, no. 254, fig. 45.

2006

  • Fusco, Laurie and Gino Corti. Lorenzo de' Medici: Collector and Antiquarian. Cambridge, UK, 2006: 105 fig. 114, 106.

Markings

Reverse bears former inventory numbers 13 in red paint (Dreyfus) and 33 in yellow paint (Ricci 1931).

Wikidata ID

Q63814728

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