Bust of an African boy

Italian, probably Venice

Not on view

The Italian Renaissance brought with it a wholehearted embrace of classical antiquity throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Emulation of ancient cameos played a large part. Carvers invested ancient myths with increasingly refined compositions and techniques, paying close attention to the latest archaeological discoveries. Demand for Italian carvers took them to all the courts of Europe. Milan in particular developed a taste for cameos with wondrous atmospheric effects.

Bust of an African boy, Sardonyx and gold, Italian, probably Venice

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Bust of an African boy, Sardonyx and gold, Italian, probably Venice
Bust of an African boy, Sardonyx and gold, Italian, probably Venice
Bust of an African boy, Sardonyx and gold, Italian, probably Venice

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