Wine cooler with Charles V’s Victory at Mühlberg

Enea Vico|Battista Franco

ca. 1560–90 · Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

The painted scene on the interior of this cooler depicts an important sixteenth-century event—the 1547 victory of the Catholic forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V over his Protestant enemies. A Latin inscription identifies the scene, which was adapted from a popular print. Coolers were not originally intended to be hung on a wall, but this work’s foot was removed in later centuries when collectors preferred the vertical display of pottery.

Artist

Enea Vico|Battista Franco

Date

ca. 1560–90

Medium

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)

Culture

Italian, Urbino

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Gift of Julia A. Berwind, 1953