Mercury and Judith

c. 1500

North Italian 16th Century

Associated Names
The sculpture is a rectangular plaque featuring two humanoid figures standing side by side. The figure on the left appears to be a nude male, with a helmet or hat that has wings or feathers, possibly holding a staff or branch. The figure on the right is a clothed female, wearing a draped garment that exposes her midriff, holding a round object in her left hand and possibly a decapitated head in her right hand. The background is textured, and there is a hole near the center of the plaque. The sculpture is primarily made of bronze, evident from its greenish-brown patina. The surface of the sculpture shows signs of wear, adding to its antique appearance. Surrounding the figures is an ornate rectangular border with scrollwork at the top and bottom.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Medium brown patina

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 4.86 × 3.11 cm (1 15/16 × 1 1/4 in.)
    gross weight: 18.49 gr (0.041 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.419


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, 295.

1965

  • Pope-Hennessy, John W. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection: Reliefs, Plaquettes, Statuettes, Utensils and Mortars. London, 1965: no. 286.

2006

  • Bergbauer, Bertrand and Catherine Chédeau. Images en relief: La collection de plaquettes du Musée National de la Renaissance. Paris, 2006: 79.

Markings

Reverse bears microscopic remnants of former inventory numbers [ . . . ] in red paint (Dreyfus) and 295 in yellow paint (Ricci 1931).

Wikidata ID

Q63814832

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