Neptune

Adam Lenckhart

mid-17th century · Ivory · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Neptune is shown calming the stormy sea, represented by the wild-eyed dolphin. The sea god's trident has been lost. Neptune's swirling hair and beard parallel the spiral of his stance; these features may owe a debt to Italian prototypes but may also have been determined by the form of the tusk. The anatomical precision of the musculature, body hair, and folds of flesh are marks of the northern carving tradition in which Lenckhart was first trained.

Artist

Adam Lenckhart

Date

mid-17th century

Medium

Ivory

Culture

Austrian

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Mary Clark Thompson, 1923