Ornament panel with Orpheus and the Judgment of Paris

Nicoletto da Modena (active ca. 1500-ca. 1520)


Item type:
print
Date of creation:
ca. 1507
Height:
13.2 cm  (5 3/16 in.)
Width:
10.3 cm  (4 1/16 in.)
Technique / Medium:
engraving, on paper
Place of creation:
Italia

Description

The panel has two central mythological scenes bordered by a circle. Numerous mythological characters occupy the ornamented borders around each myth. In the Judgment of Paris circle, Paris is seated with a staff in his right hand judging the beauty of the three nude goddesses standing in front of him: Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena. Rectangles on the right and left show a warrior, possibly Ares, and a nude figure with a trident, possibly Poseidon. The rectangles above and below show two goats butting heads and two centaurs on each side of a fountain. In the Orpheus circle, Orpheus is seated at the base of a tree bowing a string instrument held under his chin while animals surround him listening to the music. In the rectangles to the right and left, there are two nude figures, possibly Hades and Apollo, who is holding up a lyre in his left arm and an arrow in his right hand. The quiver hangs by his left side. The rectangles above and below depict creatures possibly from the underworld. At the very bottom of the panel, there are two nude men with small wings on their shoulders playing long trumpets.

Iconclass

94C1131
the Judgement of Paris (without Mercury)
94O511
Orpheus playing the lyre: trees and rocks move, beasts and birds are enchanted

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Lira da braccio [3181]
Lyre [3501]
End-blown trumpet [6556]

RIdIM images


Image URLs

image link 1

Bibliographic references

Levenson, Jay A., Konrad Oberhuber, and Jacquelyn L. Sheehan. Early Italian engravings from the National Gallery of Art (Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1973) 478, no. 172.

Bartsch, Adam von. Le peintre graveur (Vienna: J.V. Degen, 1803-1821) v. 13, 284, no. 54.

Hind, Arthur M. Early Italian engraving: A critical catalogue with complete reproduction of all the prints described (London: Pub. for M. Knoedler; New York, by B. Quaritch, 1938-1948) v. 5, no. 103, II.

RIdIM record id

5458