Pietre dure (hardstone) landscape scene

17th century

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520

Formed using the color and texture of different semiprecious stones, this pietre dure landscape was likely once incorporated into a cabinet, perhaps one destined for the Kunstkammer of Emperor Rudolf II. Meticulously cut and fitted to create “paintings” in lasting stone, these works were central to demonstrating princely magnificence. An admirer of pietre dure, Rudolf II brought Cosimo Castrucci—a Florentine artist who worked with precious stones—and his family to Prague in 1592 to set up a workshop. There, they joined the many other artisans whom the emperor had gathered to make the city a center of artistic production.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Pietre dure (hardstone) landscape scene
Maker: Castrucci Workshop
Date: 17th century
Culture: Bohemian, Prague
Medium: Agate, jasper, other hardstones; ebony; iron
Dimensions: Overall: 7 1/8 × 8 7/8 × 2 in. (18.1 × 22.5 × 5.1 cm)
Classification: Natural Substances
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. C. Ruxton Love Jr., 1978
Object Number: 1978.524.3
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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