"Feast of the Gods" charger, 1808
Gilt silverexpand_more
The Mary Agnes and Al McQuinn Purchase Fundexpand_more 2008.71
On View in Gallery 350expand_more
The London firm of Rundell, Bridge & Rundell was the undisputed tastemaker in Regency silver design. The first of eight versions made by Rundells over several years, this charger was probably made to entice orders from their prominent clients, numbering, among others, the Prince of Wales. The central image is ultimately based on a 16th century Venetian bronze relief, representing the apotheosis of Doge Sebastiano Venier, who helped to secure the Holy League's victory in the Battle of Lepanto. In 1719, Bernard de Montfaucon published an engraving of the image in "L'Antiquité Expliquée", titling it "The Wedding of Peleus and Thetis." Rundell, Bridge & Rundell used Montfaucon's engraving as a model, certainly believing it to depict an episode of ancient mythology, as the present title indicates. However, the two figures in Renaissance Ottoman dress in the background have no place in such iconography, pointing back to the Venetian bronze relief as the original source.
Details
- Title
- "Feast of the Gods" charger
- Artist Life
- apprenticed 1769, free 1784, registered marks 1781, 1786, 1791, and 1806
- Role
- Silversmith
- Accession Number
- 2008.71
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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