
Read the visual description
The sculpture is a circular relief depicting a scene involving two subjects: a ship with visible ropes and masts positioned on the left, and a human figure sitting on the right. The person appears to be holding on to a large fish, resting one arm across its back, as they sit on what looks like a rock amidst swirling, wave-like patterns. The image is surrounded by a raised border framing the circular scene. The sculpture itself is crafted in a monochromatic material, giving it a uniform, metallic brown color that highlights the sculptural details and textures against the flat background. The overall appearance is one of high-relief detail, where the subjects stand out prominently against the background plane.
National Gallery of Art · Sculpture
Arion Rescued by the Dolphin
Attributed to Moderno
- Date
- late 15th - early 16th century
- Medium
- bronze//Medium brown patina
- Dimensions
- overall (diameter): 10.66 cm (4 3/16 in.) gross weight: 175.4 gr (0.387 lb.)
- Classification
- Sculpture · Plaquette
- Accession number
- 1957.14.329
- Credit line
- Samuel H. Kress Collection
- Time span
- 1401 to 1500
- Department
- CSD
Subjects and terms
- Renaissance
- Renaissance Plaquettes
- Veronese
- classical
- secular
- Mantuan
- Dolphin
- Arion
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 formerly bore faint trace of previous catalogue number 206 in thin white paint (associated design in Molinier 1886), canceled with line of red paint, as well as 161 in red paint (Dreyfus) and 205 in yellow paint (Ricci 1931); numerals removed in 1982 cleaning.
NGA object ID 44053. 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.