Madonna and Child

Unknown

cameo ca. 1500, mount 19th century · Sardonyx; mount: silver-gilt, diamonds · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The composition, with tenderly interacting figures, is arranged in the manner of early Netherlandish paintings of Madonnas. The Italian Renaissance brought with it a wholehearted embrace of classical antiquity throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Emulation of ancient cameos played a large part. Carvers invested ancient myths with increasingly refined compositions and techniques, paying close attention to the latest archaeological discoveries. Demand for Italian carvers took them to all the courts of Europe. Milan in particular developed a taste for cameos with wondrous atmospheric effects.

Artist

Unknown

Date

cameo ca. 1500, mount 19th century

Medium

Sardonyx; mount: silver-gilt, diamonds

Culture

French or Franco-Flemish

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

The Milton Weil Collection, 1938