The sculpture portrays a scenic landscape with figures in a narrative setting. The central focus is on two human figures, one of which is an adult guiding a child, as they move through a natural setting. The scene is detailed with surrounding elements such as trees and an architectural structure resembling a small village or castle in the background. The entire sculpture is crafted from gold-colored material, giving it a lustrous and reflective quality. The texture and relief of the sculpture's surface give the figures and landscape depth and dimension, creating a dynamic scene.
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The sculpture portrays a scenic landscape with figures in a narrative setting. The central focus is on two human figures, one of which is an adult guiding a child, as they move through a natural setting. The scene is detailed with surrounding elements such as trees and an architectural structure resembling a small village or castle in the background. The entire sculpture is crafted from gold-colored material, giving it a lustrous and reflective quality. The texture and relief of the sculpture's surface give the figures and landscape depth and dimension, creating a dynamic scene.

National Gallery of Art · Sculpture

Allegorical Scene

Peter Flötner

Medium
gilded bronze
Dimensions
overall: 5.7 x 8.5 cm (2 1/4 x 3 3/8 in.) gross weight: 78 gr
Classification
Sculpture · Plaquette
Accession number
1957.14.569
Credit line
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Time span
1401 to 1500
Department
CSD

Subjects and terms

  • allegory
  • Renaissance
  • Renaissance Plaquettes
  • Nuremberg
  • Knife
  • Child, naked
  • Elderly couple
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 44289. 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.