Ask the Scholar
Page 4 of 7
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
Document source description
The decoration of this vessel, shaped like the flasks carried by travelers or pilgrims, is centered on the god Mercury carrying the beautiful young mortal woman Psyche to Mt. Olympus, home of the immortal gods, for her marriage with Cupid, god of love. The motif is adapted from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi (ca. 1475-1530) after a wall-painting by Raphael (1483-1520) in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. This is one of the earliest signed and dated works by Francesco Xanto Avelli, one of the most original painters of maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) and the only one who frequently signed his works. He aspired to the humanist culture of his patrons and his subject matter reflects some level of familiarity with poetry and classical literature. Indeed, several of his plates illustrate his own poems. He often depicted little-known scenes from ancient history, which he sometimes identified on the back of the plate. Like other painters of istoriato ware (decorated with stories), Xanto Avelli frequently relied on prints for compositional models. Many of those prints are after works by Raphael whose classicizing figures provided Xanto Avelli with a handsome visual vocabulary. The bottle is ornamented at each side with an inscribed cartouche, on one side: ∙F∙A∙R∙ ; on the opposite side: M∙D∙XXX. For other examples of the artist's work in the Walters Art Museum, click on his name in the "creator" field
Page data
- Page
- 4
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 8ee57a5e2937024f
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 37839
- Core
- obj
- Type
- object
DTO data
{
"id": "37839",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1373",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "\"\"Pilgrim Flask\"\" with Mercury and Psyche",
"description": "The decoration of this vessel, shaped like the flasks carried by travelers or pilgrims, is centered on the god Mercury carrying the beautiful young mortal woman Psyche to Mt. Olympus, home of the immortal gods, for her marriage with Cupid, god of love. The motif is adapted from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi (ca. 1475-1530) after a wall-painting by Raphael (1483-1520) in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. This is one of the earliest signed and dated works by Francesco Xanto Avelli, one of the most original painters of maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) and the only one who frequently signed his works. He aspired to the humanist culture of his patrons and his subject matter reflects some level of familiarity with poetry and classical literature. Indeed, several of his plates illustrate his own poems. He often depicted little-known scenes from ancient history, which he sometimes identified on the back of the plate. Like other painters of istoriato ware (decorated with stories), Xanto Avelli frequently relied on prints for compositional models. Many of those prints are after works by Raphael whose classicizing figures provided Xanto Avelli with a handsome visual vocabulary. The bottle is ornamented at each side with an inscribed cartouche, on one side: ∙F∙A∙R∙ ; on the opposite side: M∙D∙XXX. For other examples of the artist's work in the Walters Art Museum, click on his name in the \"creator\" field",
"provenance": "Spain [date and mode of deposition unknown]; Samuel Addington, prior to 1862, by purchase; Boulton, [no. 92]; George Robinson Harding, London [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1914, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "1530 (Renaissance)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1373",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramics",
"pilgrim flasks"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"imageCount": 7,
"pageCount": 7,
"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
{
"units": "cm",
"width": 37,
"height": 22.4,
"depth": 13
}
],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 14 9/16 × W: 8 13/16 × D: 5 1/8 in. (37 × 22.4 × 13 cm)"
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "37839",
"label": "\"\"Pilgrim Flask\"\" with Mercury and Psyche",
"core": "obj",
"dtoType": "object",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1373"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "37839",
"sourceUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1373",
"contentType": "object",
"stage": "normalized",
"title": "\"\"Pilgrim Flask\"\" with Mercury and Psyche",
"description": "The decoration of this vessel, shaped like the flasks carried by travelers or pilgrims, is centered on the god Mercury carrying the beautiful young mortal woman Psyche to Mt. Olympus, home of the immortal gods, for her marriage with Cupid, god of love. The motif is adapted from an engraving by Marcantonio Raimondi (ca. 1475-1530) after a wall-painting by Raphael (1483-1520) in the Villa Farnesina in Rome. This is one of the earliest signed and dated works by Francesco Xanto Avelli, one of the most original painters of maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware) and the only one who frequently signed his works. He aspired to the humanist culture of his patrons and his subject matter reflects some level of familiarity with poetry and classical literature. Indeed, several of his plates illustrate his own poems. He often depicted little-known scenes from ancient history, which he sometimes identified on the back of the plate. Like other painters of istoriato ware (decorated with stories), Xanto Avelli frequently relied on prints for compositional models. Many of those prints are after works by Raphael whose classicizing figures provided Xanto Avelli with a handsome visual vocabulary. The bottle is ornamented at each side with an inscribed cartouche, on one side: ∙F∙A∙R∙ ; on the opposite side: M∙D∙XXX. For other examples of the artist's work in the Walters Art Museum, click on his name in the \"creator\" field",
"provenance": "Spain [date and mode of deposition unknown]; Samuel Addington, prior to 1862, by purchase; Boulton, [no. 92]; George Robinson Harding, London [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1914, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.",
"date": "1530 (Renaissance)",
"citationUrl": "https://purl.thewalters.org/art/48.1373",
"rightsUri": "CC0",
"language": "en",
"genreSpecific": [
"Ceramics",
"pilgrim flasks"
],
"iiifBase": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/art/PL9_48.1373_Fnt_SL_T84.jpg",
"imageCount": 7,
"pageCount": 7,
"source": "import",
"dimensions": [
{
"units": "cm",
"width": 37,
"height": 22.4,
"depth": 13
}
],
"dimensionsRaw": "H: 14 9/16 × W: 8 13/16 × D: 5 1/8 in. (37 × 22.4 × 13 cm)"
}
Document source extras
{
"inscriptions": [
"[Inscription] Ornamented at each side with an inscribed cartouche",
"on one side: ∙F∙A∙R∙ ; on the opposite side: M∙D∙XXX"
],
"med": "earthenware with tin glaze (maiolica)",
"creator_ids": [
"4363"
],
"collection_ids": [
"REN"
],
"exhibition_ids": [
"170",
"3522"
]
}
Page context
{
"seq": 4,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://art.thewalters.org/images/raw/PS1_48.1373_Rt_DD_T17-tms.jpg",
"mediaId": "8ee57a5e2937024f"
}