Achilles Taking Leave of Thetis and Chiron

first quarter 16th century

Mantuan or Ferrarese 16th Century

Associated Names
Mantuan 16th Century

Sculptor

Ferrarese 16th Century

Sculptor

This is a circular relief depicting three humans and a centaur. In the center, two people embrace, holding each other closely. The third human stands on the right holding a tall staff and a bow, looking to the left towards the other two. All three humans appear to have short hair and wear flowing tunics with tall boots. The bearded centaur is on the left, shown in profile, facing the embracing figures. It is shown mid-trot with one leg raised slightly off the ground, and it holds a long staff and several tall scroll-like objects. A flowing cape hangs from its shoulders. The background features textured surfaces resembling foliage or rocks. The material is a dark bronze color with an aged patina in some areas, giving it a brownish sheen.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 6 cm (2 3/8 in.) gross weight: 48 gr

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.238

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. 174.

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. 88, repro.

1942

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

2017

  • Martinez, Trinity. "A Newly Discovered Textual Source for the Master of the Orpheus Legend's Chiron Plaquettes." Source: Notes in the History of Art 37 (Fall 2017): 15-25, fig. 2.

Wikidata ID

Q63809828

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