The Mantuan Roundel

Learn more about an extremely rare bronze relief attributed to Gian Marco Cavalli. Created around 1500, it is one of the largest and most technically sophisticated examples of a bronze roundel from the early Renaissance.

Join Dr. Sarah E. Lawrence, the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Curator in Charge of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, and Denise Allen, Curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, in a discussion on an extremely rare bronze relief attributed to Gian Marco Cavalli, an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, print engraver, and medalist who worked for the Gonzaga court in Mantua. Created around 1500, it is both the largest and one of the most technically sophisticated examples of a bronze roundel known from the early Renaissance. Lavishly embellished with gilding and silver inlay, the beautifully rendered configuration shows four figures from Roman mythology and provides new insights into the experimentation and impeccable craftsmanship that are the hallmarks of early north Italian bronzes.

© 2022 The Metropolitan Museum of Art


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