The Triumph of Cupid

late 16th or 17th century

Italian 16th or 17th Century

Associated Names
Italian 17th Century

Artist

Italian 16th Century

Artist

The sculpture is an ornately detailed medallion or relief plaque, featuring multiple intricately carved human figures in various poses. The central figure is a winged child or cherub poised above a group of muscular men standing shoulder to shoulder. Surrounding them are additional individuals, some with head coverings or stylized hair. At the top of the plaque is a stern-faced, bearded figure with flowing hair amidst ornate scrollwork and floral designs. The sculpture is made from a golden-hued material, likely a metallic composition like bronze or gilded metal, giving it a lustrous appearance against a dark background.

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On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G16

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 15 x 10.3 cm (5 7/8 x 4 1/16 in.) gross weight: 160 gr

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.232

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. 232.

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. 115, repro.

1942

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

Wikidata ID

Q63809729

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