
Read the visual description
The image shows a sculpture of a detailed relief on a circular medallion. The relief features a group of figures on a boat, including a man in armor standing at the left and a seated woman holding a flowering branch. An older man, possibly a ferryman, is shown standing and using a large oar to guide the boat. Below the boat, several smaller human figures are depicted. The sculpture is made of bronze, giving it a brown color and a metallic luster. The relief is carved with attention to detail, creating a sense of depth within the figures and depicting an elaborate scene reminiscent of a classical or mythological narrative.
National Gallery of Art · Sculpture
Aeneas Descending to the Underworld
Master of the Orpheus Legend
- Date
- fourth quarter 15th century
- Medium
- bronze//Dark brown patina
- Dimensions
- overall (diameter): 5.8 cm (2 5/16 in.) gross weight: 45 gr
- Classification
- Sculpture · Plaquette
- Accession number
- 1957.14.236
- Credit line
- Samuel H. Kress Collection
- Time span
- 1401 to 1500
- Department
- CSD
Subjects and terms
- Italian
- Renaissance
- Renaissance Plaquettes
- classical
- secular
- Virgil
- Aeneid
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.
NGA object ID 43958. 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.