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Source Description
Probably from a series decorating a casket, this plaque, painted in "grisaille," depicts a gruesome episode in the story of Medea, told by the Roman writer Ovid (43 BC-AD 17) in "The Metamorphoses". Jason and Medea are escaping by ship from the fleet of King Aietes of Chalcis, Medea's father. In order to slow their pursuers, Medea kills her brother Absyrtus, dismembers his body, and casts it piece by piece into the sea, knowing that her father will seek to retrieve each body part. The designs were inspired by engravings by René Boyvin (ca. 1525-after 1580) after drawings by the Flemish painter and designer Leonard Thiry (ca. 1500-after 1565).
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
2444
label
Plaque with Medea's Murder of Absyrtus
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
2444
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Plaque with Medea's Murder of Absyrtus
description
Probably from a series decorating a casket, this plaque, painted in "grisaille," depicts a gruesome episode in the story of Medea, told by the Roman writer Ovid (43 BC-AD 17) in "The Metamorphoses". Jason and Medea are escaping by ship from the fleet of King Aietes of Chalcis, Medea's father. In order to slow their pursuers, Medea kills her brother Absyrtus, dismembers his body, and casts it piece by piece into the sea, knowing that her father will seek to retrieve each body part. The designs were inspired by engravings by René Boyvin (ca. 1525-after 1580) after drawings by the Flemish painter and designer Leonard Thiry (ca. 1500-after 1565).
provenance
Jacques Seligmann, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1580-1600 (Renaissance)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Enamels
plaques
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
10.5
height
19.8
dimensionsRaw
H: 4 1/8 x W: 7 13/16 in. (10.5 x 19.8 cm)
Source extras
med
painted enamel on copper
creator_ids
3084
collection_ids
REN
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
1413267ab2a4cad1