Orpheus Charming the Animals
A Carved Marble Fireplace Tablet Depicting Orpheus Charming the Animals
English, late 18th to early 19th century
Provenance: Private Collection (United Kingdom)
Height: 27cm Width: 52cm Depth: 5.5cm
Carved in high relief, this marble tablet depicts Orpheus seated in a classical landscape, serenading a gathering of wild animals with his lyre, Lions, bears, boars and other beasts are rendered with striking vitality and naturalism, each drawn in toward the seated figure under the spell of his music.
The composition exemplifies the Neoclassical fascination with antique mythology, drawing on Roman and Hellenistic sources. While the theme of Orpheus charming the animals is well established in ancient mosaics and Renaissance painting, its use in a carved marble fireplace tablet is highly unusual.
English, late 18th to early 19th century
Provenance: Private Collection (United Kingdom)
Height: 27cm Width: 52cm Depth: 5.5cm
Carved in high relief, this marble tablet depicts Orpheus seated in a classical landscape, serenading a gathering of wild animals with his lyre, Lions, bears, boars and other beasts are rendered with striking vitality and naturalism, each drawn in toward the seated figure under the spell of his music.
The composition exemplifies the Neoclassical fascination with antique mythology, drawing on Roman and Hellenistic sources. While the theme of Orpheus charming the animals is well established in ancient mosaics and Renaissance painting, its use in a carved marble fireplace tablet is highly unusual.
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