Creative Commons License
Medallion with the Emperor Augustus's Vision of the Virgin and Child
According to legend, the Roman emperor Augustus asked a prophetess if there was anyone greater than himself. It was the day of Christ's birth, and the answer came to the emperor in a vision: a golden circle around the sun, in the middle of which was a beautiful virgin and a child. One side of the pendant shows Augustus and the other, the Virgin and Child.
The sophisticated style, superb workmanship, and imagery connect this piece to the Parisian workshop of Jean and Paul de Limbourg from Guelders (in the northern Netherlands), who created some of the finest International Gothic manuscript paintings. They initially trained as goldsmiths and their younger brother Arnold (of whom no works are known) was a goldsmith in Guelders. The enamelist who created this masterpiece and a few related works was an accomplished painter as well as a goldsmith.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
The Honourable William Frederick Barton Massey-Mainwaring (28 May 1845 – 12 March 1907), 30 Grosvenor Place, London; with G. R. Harding, London; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1914, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2010 | Art of Illumination: The Belles Heures of Jean de France, Duc de Berry. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. |
| 2004-2005 | Art from the Court of Burgundy, 1364-1419. Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, Dijon; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. |
| 1996-1997 | Russian Enamels. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1992 | Schatzkammerstücke aus der Herbstzeit des Mittelalters: Das Regensburger Emailkästchen und sein Umkreis. Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich. |
| 1979-1980 | Jewelry - Ancient to Modern. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1977-1978 | I, Claudius: Art in the Age of Julio-Claudians. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1962 | The International Style: The Arts in Europe Around 1400. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 3/22/1962 | Examination | examined for loan |
| 3/11/1992 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 3/11/1992 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 10/30/1996 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 7/29/2003 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 10/7/2004 | Examination | examined for condition |
| 3/22/2006 | Technical Report | examined for technical study |
| 3/1/2007 | Treatment | re-housed |
| 1/12/2010 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
France, Paris (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 3/8 x Diam: 2 1/16 x D: 3/16 in. (6.1 x 5.2 x 0.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1914
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
44.462