Existing comment:
Minerva and Orpheus
Not all maiolica painters engaged in creative elaborations of their models, instead often translating printed designs to ceramic surfaces with little or no modification. Such was the case with the plate depicting Minerva (goddess of wisdom and war) accepting the olive branch of peace from Cupid (god of love). An allegory of moderation, the design was based on a print by Marcantonio Raimondi, perhaps after a drawing by Raphael.
The so-called "In Castel Durante" painter only slightly modified Marcantonio's engraving of a seated nude man by substituting his flute with a lira da braccio (a precursor of the violin) and placing him in a landscape that includes a rabbit and lion. The original design was thus transformed into a depiction of Orpheus, a musician and poet of Greek myth, whose sweet music was said to have enchanted animals, trees, and even rocks. |