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The sculpture depicts several human and animal figures engaged in a struggle. The figures are intricately carved, showing bodies in motion with limbs extended and torsos twisted. There is a sense of depth created by the overlapping figures and raised relief. The color of the sculpture is a reddish-brown hue, likely due to the material being bronze. The background consists of columns, suggesting an architectural setting, adding complexity to the scene. The relief is mounted on a square block, with the figures rendered in high relief.
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The sculpture depicts several human and animal figures engaged in a struggle. The figures are intricately carved, showing bodies in motion with limbs extended and torsos twisted. There is a sense of depth created by the overlapping figures and raised relief. The color of the sculpture is a reddish-brown hue, likely due to the material being bronze. The background consists of columns, suggesting an architectural setting, adding complexity to the scene. The relief is mounted on a square block, with the figures rendered in high relief.

National Gallery of Art · Sculpture

Battle of Centaurs and Lapiths

Caradosso Foppa

Medium
bronze//Medium brown patina
Dimensions
overall: 5.17 x 5.07 cm (2 1/16 x 2 in.) gross weight: 45.09 gr (0.099 lb.)
Classification
Sculpture · Plaquette
Accession number
1957.14.220
Credit line
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Time span
1401 to 1500
Department
CSD
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • Roman
  • classical
  • mythology
  • Renaissance
  • Milanese
  • Renaissance Plaquettes
  • Battle of Centaurs and Lapiths
Provenance

Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his estate; purchased 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); purchased 1945 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Marks

Reverse bears faint traces of former inventory number: pigment removed in 1982 cleaning, but chemical “ghost” traces remain visible.

NGA object ID 43942. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.