Orpheus Descending into Hades

late 15th - early 16th century

Moderno

Associated Names
Moderno

Sculptor, Veronese, 1467 - 1528

The sculpture is a circular relief depicting a scene with a figure in the center, a male with long hair, draped in a flowing garment. The figure is facing slightly to the left, standing in front of a large, door-like structure. Around the central figure, there are various elements, including another smaller, winged figure in profile on the left, and a creature with pointed features on the ground to the right. The background features architectural and natural elements such as arches and trees. The sculpture is made from bronze, giving it a metallic sheen with a dark brown or copper color. The circular frame holds intricate details, and there is a small hole at the top of the circle.

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On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G16

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Black patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 10.67 cm (4 3/16 in.)
    gross weight: 143.55 gr (0.316 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.330

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

1931

  • Ricci, Seymour de. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection. Reliefs and Plaquettes. Oxford, 1931. vol.II, 206.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: 52, no. 171, fig. 195.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 110, no. 35.

2013

  • Leino, Marika. Fashion, Devotion and Contemplation: The Status and Functions of Italian Renaissance Plaquettes. Oxford, 2013: 125 fig. 74, 126.

Wikidata ID

Q63814950

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