Candelabra grotesque with four children playing, from a series of twelve candelabra grotesques
Composed of playful putti, reptilian handles, cuirasses (breastplate armor), and foliage, this ornamental panel belongs to a series of twelve designed and engraved by Birago in collaboration with Brescia. While certainly fantastical, candelabra designs were inspired by real objects: the ancient Roman candelabrum. More directly, Birago’s candelabra were informed by fifteenth-century northern Italian architectural ornament and the manuscript illuminations he made in the service of the Sforza court in Milan. The large scale and sculptural quality of these prints after Birago’s designs convey a sense of monumentality and led to their popularity as models for sculpted reliefs across Europe.
Artwork Details
- Title: Candelabra grotesque with four children playing, from a series of twelve candelabra grotesques
- Series/Portfolio: Twelve candelabra grostesques
- Artist: Giovanni Antonio da Brescia (Italian, active ca. 1490–ca. 1525)
- Former Attribution: Giovanni Pietro da Birago (Italian, active ca. 1470–1513)
- Date: 1490–1515
- Medium: Engraving
- Dimensions: Sheet: 21 5/8 × 3 11/16 in. (55 × 9.4 cm)
Plate: 21 1/4 × 3 7/16 in. (54 × 8.7 cm) - Classifications: Prints, Ornament & Architecture
- Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1923
- Object Number: 23.39.7
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
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