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Source Description
The dwarf Morgante was Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo de' Medici's jester. Dwarfs were commonly employed at courts, where they were looked upon as marvels of nature and, in the case of a jester, were expected to entertain and amuse.Here, Morgante sits on a dragon that imitates one crafted by Cencio della Nera, the duke's goldsmith. The dwarf raises his hand to still the waters in a gesture that parodies representations of Neptune, the Roman god of the ocean. This fountain ornament is a copy of a bronze by Giovanni da Bologna installed between 1583 and 1585 in the garden terrace above the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
33316
label
The Dwarf Morgante Riding on a Dragon
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
33316
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
The Dwarf Morgante Riding on a Dragon
description
The dwarf Morgante was Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo de' Medici's jester. Dwarfs were commonly employed at courts, where they were looked upon as marvels of nature and, in the case of a jester, were expected to entertain and amuse.Here, Morgante sits on a dragon that imitates one crafted by Cencio della Nera, the duke's goldsmith. The dwarf raises his hand to still the waters in a gesture that parodies representations of Neptune, the Roman god of the ocean. This fountain ornament is a copy of a bronze by Giovanni da Bologna installed between 1583 and 1585 in the garden terrace above the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence.
provenance
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
late 17th or early 18th century
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Metal
sculpture (visual works)
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
29
height
57.7
dimensionsRaw
11 7/16 x 22 11/16 in. (29 x 57.7 cm)
Source extras
med
bronze
creator_ids
6341
33562
collection_ids
EAN
exhibition_ids
218
2398
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
5849194bf9d22348