Bust of Hercules

Italian

Not on view

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.

Bust of Hercules, Sardonyx, gold, enamel, diamonds, and rubies, Italian

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Bust of Hercules, Sardonyx, gold, enamel, diamonds, and rubies, Italian
Bust of Hercules, Sardonyx, gold, enamel, diamonds, and rubies, Italian

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