Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Plaque with a Battle of Naked Men over the Abduction of a Woman
(Baroque Europe )
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
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.
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.
Geographies
Germany (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 1 9/16 × W: 5 3/16 × D: 3/16 in. (4 × 13.2 × 0.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
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.
71.316