Provenance

Alessandro Castellani

Italian, 1823 - 1883

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See all 18 works of art
This is a photograph of a decorative ceramic plate. The plate features an intricate design with a central figure of a woman, adorned with a patterned garment and headscarf, rendered in a traditional Renaissance style. She is surrounded by an elaborate border of floral and scroll motifs in vibrant yellow and blue colors. The upper part of the design includes a ribbon with Latin inscriptions. The overall effect is one of elegance and historical richness, with the plate displaying finely executed artwork typical of historical European pottery.
Deruta 16th Century, Large dish with border of floral scrollwork and cornucopias; in the center, profile bust of "Faustina", c. 1510/1535, tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica), Widener Collection, 1942.9.322

Large dish with border of floral scrollwork and cornucopias; in the center, profile bust of "Faustina"

Deruta 16th Century · c. 1510/1535 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  1942.9.322

The sculpture is a bust of a woman, focusing on her head and shoulders. She has a high forehead with slightly curling hair pulled back under a smooth cap. Her face includes thin eyebrows, a long nose, a slightly cleft chin, and lips set in a neutral expression. Her eyes are blank, without a visible pupil or iris. Her clothing appears to be an intricately detailed dress, featuring floral patterns and slightly puffed sleeves. The sculpture is carved from a smooth, light-colored material.
Italian 15th Century, A Lady, 1475/1485, marble, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1939.1.326

A Lady

Italian 15th Century · 1475/1485 · marble ·  Accession ID  1939.1.326

This is a painted plate or shallow bowl. The painting depicts a muscular man carrying another man in front of the mouth of a cave. Both men have light skin and are mostly nude. The man on the ground has a blond beard and wears a reddish-brown cape with the head of a lion. He has his arms around the other man's waist. The other man is completely off the ground, his arms outstretched. Beyond the cave behind the men is a wide landscape with rolling blue and green hills, dark green trees, and white buildings. The sky is yellow near the horizon and fades to a dark blue near the top of the bowl. The rim of the bowl is golden.
Italian 16th Century, Shallow bowl with Hercules overcoming Antaeus, 1520, tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica), Widener Collection, 1942.9.330

Shallow bowl with Hercules overcoming Antaeus

Italian 16th Century · 1520 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  1942.9.330

This is a colorful ceramic plate. In the center of the plate is a scene that features a person in a long, draped garment holding some sort of long object that looks like a thin horn or flower in one hand, and a small, spotted animal with a crown floating above it in their other hand. The person stands against a backdrop of a town or cityscape, and in the air on the right are a series of floral shapes. These designs are in bright yellow and blue colors, with some of the white background visible. The rim of the plate exhibits patterns of scales, vertical stripes, and floral motifs in yellow and blue, with some areas of bright orange.
Deruta 16th Century, Large dish with segmental border of plant sprays and scale pattern; in the center, an emblematic female figure holding a crowned toad and cornucopia, c. 1510/1540, tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica), Widener Collection, 1942.9.317

Large dish with segmental border of plant sprays and scale pattern; in the center, an emblematic female figure holding a crowned toad and cornucopia

Deruta 16th Century · c. 1510/1540 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  1942.9.317

The sculpture depicts a bird crafted from golden metal and decorated with colored enamel. The bird faces the right with its wings tucked in to its body, perched atop a circular base with gold embellishments. The metal bird has detailed blue and green enamel work on its wings and tail.
French 13th Century, Pyx in the Form of a Dove, c. 1220/1230, gilded copper with enamel, Widener Collection, 1942.9.284

Pyx in the Form of a Dove

French 13th Century · c. 1220/1230 · gilded copper with enamel ·  Accession ID  1942.9.284

The sculpture depicts a bust of a young woman with a neutral expression and partially closed eyes. The woman's hair is styled back behind her head, with a few small curls around her ears. She has a straight nose, faint eyebrows, and thin lips which are slightly turned up at the edges. She wears a simple short-sleeved garment with a wide neckline above a triangular panel. The base of the sculpture is carved with small scenes of people on horseback and cherubic figures. The sculpture is made of a smooth white material with some areas of yellowish discoloration.
Francesco Laurana, A Young Noblewoman, c. 1475 or later, marble, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.119

A Young Noblewoman

Francesco Laurana · c. 1475 or later · marble ·  Accession ID  1937.1.119

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Molded dish with female martyr-saint

Gubbio 16th Century · c. 1530/1540 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  2015.19.4094

This is a painting of a pastoral scene on a ceramic plate. It depicts a nude figure seated on a rocky landscape, holding a stringed musical instrument and a staff or spear. The background shows a lush landscape with hills, rocks, a stream, and a village with castle-like structures. The sky has a gradient from yellow to blue with clouds. In the foreground, a rabbit sits on a rock. The painting features a blend of blue, green, and earth tones in the style of early Renaissance Italian majolica with classical themes.
The "in Castel Durante" Painter, Dish with Orpheus charming the beasts, c. 1520/1525, tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica), Corcoran Collection (William A. Clark Collection, 1926), 2015.19.4002

Dish with Orpheus charming the beasts

The "in Castel Durante" Painter · c. 1520/1525 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  2015.19.4002

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Dish with shield of arms of the Orsini

Deruta 16th Century · c. 1520/1530 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  2015.19.4028

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Plate with the death of Narcissus

Pesaro 16th Century, Lanfranco Workshop · c. 1545/1550 · tin-glazed earthenware (maiolica) ·  Accession ID  2015.19.4009

Bibliography

1861

  • Newton, C.T. The Castellani Collection. London, 1861.

1973

  • Nadelhofer, Hans. "Castellani and Giuliano in the Context of Their Times." Christie's Review of the Season. London, 1973: 206-210.

1975

  • Bury, Shirley. "Alessandro Castellani and the Revival of Granulation." The Burlington Magazine (October 1975): 664-668.

1984

  • Munn, Geoffrey C. Castellani and Giuliano, Revivalist Jewellers of the Nineteenth Century. London, 1984.