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Auction: 8004 - An Important Collection of Renaissance Medals & Plaquettes
Lot: 12

Master of the Orpheus Legend Orpheus and Eurydice before Pluto, circular bronze plaquette, 60mm., a very fine contemporary cast, brown patina, pierced at 12 o´clock, trace of ink number between two areas of solder on reverse Orpheus, a cloak over his right shoulder, standing at right, rests his right foot on a rock and balances his lyre on his right knee. In front of him Eurydice, wearing a veil which blows out around her head, and holding a small basket, advances towards Pluto and Proserpine, who are seated at the entrance to a grotto. The Sphinx is at Pluto´s side and Cerberus crouches before them. Beneath a fruit tree behind Orpheus a bearded man rises from the ground, reaching to pluck an apple with his right hand One of three plaquettes depicting scenes from the life of Orpheus (the other two, much rarer, plaquettes are Orpheus Playing his Lyre, and The Death of Orpheus. Molinier 525 and 526) which were attributed to Bertoldo, but which Molinier has grouped with a few other plaquettes of similar style and attributed to an unknown artist now referred to as The Master of the Orpheus Legend. The composition is also to be found on a monument in the chapel at Pagny (Beaune) and on a French chimney-piece dating from the first years of the 15th century at Arney-le-Duc (Bergogne). It also appears as the reverse of a medal of 1556 of Alessandro Guarini by Pastorino. References Bange 1922, 306, with a raised rim (as Bertoldo); Bode, Berliner Museum, xlii, 1920-21, p.25 (as Bertoldo); Bode, Bertoldo, pp.39-40 (as Bertoldo); Cott, p.148 (as Orpheus Master); Kress 120; Migeon in Les Arts, No.80, August 1908, p.31 (as Orpheus Master); Molinier 524 (as Orpheus Master); Naples 44; Paris, Louvre, 367; Ricci, ii, p.77, no.109 (as Orpheus Master); Schuchardt 29 Estimate £ 300-400

Sold for
£450