Plaque with a Battle of Naked Men over the Abduction of a Woman

Description Carved in low relief, this plaque was probably made to decorate a small casket. It is based on an engraving by Barthel Beham (1502–40) entitled by the artist RAPTUS / HELENAE (The Abduction of Helen). The subject here, however, is not the abduction of Queen Helen by the Trojan prince Paris (calling for princely attire) but a generic "battle of wild men," itself a popular Renaissance subject. The artist may have given some of the abductors African facial features to make them look more savage to European viewers.

Provenance Sir Thomas D. Gibson. Carmichael Sale, Christie's, London, May 12, 1902, no. 5; Harding, New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters