Cincinnatus at the Plough
Filarete was the earliest Renaissance maker of bronze plaquettes after his own designs, byproducts of his work on the bronze double door of Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome (ca. 1433–45). The door's main reliefs have Christian subjects, but its borders contain figures and myths from classical antiquity. This energetic scene shows the reluctant Roman dictator Cincinnatus, who preferred the rewards of farming to the highest state honors. Only two other examples are known (Staatliche Münzsammlung, Berlin; and Musée du Louvre, Paris).
Artwork Details
- Title: Cincinnatus at the Plough
- Artist: Filarete (Antonio di Pietro Averlino) (Italian, Florence ca. 1400–ca. 1469 Rome)
- Date: mid-15th century
- Culture: Italian, Rome
- Medium: Bronze
- Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): H. 2 1/2 x W. 5 5/16 x D. 1/8 in. (6.4 x 13.6 x 0.4 cm)
- Classification: Medals and Plaquettes
- Credit Line: Edith Perry Chapman Fund, 1996
- Object Number: 1996.116
- Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
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