The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Personification of the River Nile

Art Object

The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

Ellenor M. Alcorn, Associate Curator, Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses how in England, as in Europe, a rich display of silver was essential to the expression of power. Discover how English sovereigns from Elizabeth I to George III and their courtiers competed culturally on the international stage, commissioning silver and other luxury goods to establish their stature. Presented in conjunction with the exhibition British Silver: The Wealth of a Nation, on view May 15, 2012–January 20, 2013.

Recorded October 12, 2012

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Personification of the River Nile

Giovanni Volpato (Italian, Bassano 1732–1803 Rome)

Date:: ca. 1785–95
Culture:: Italian, Rome
Medium:: Hard-paste biscuit porcelain
Dimensions:: Overall (confirmed): H. 11 7/8 x W. 23 1/8 x D. 11 5/8 in. (30.2 x 58.7 x 29.5 cm)
Classification:: Ceramics
Credit Line:: Purchase, The Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation Inc. Gift, 2001
Accession Number:: 2001.456

This artwork is not on display

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

Personification of the River Nile

Giovanni Volpato (Italian, Bassano 1732–1803 Rome)

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The Usefulness of Magnificence: Silver and the English Court

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Personification of the River Nile

Giovanni Volpato (Italian, Bassano 1732–1803 Rome)

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